Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour for India

The non-renewability, environmental issues and health hazards related to the fossil fuels has resulted in expedition of alternative sources of energy to replace the conventional ones. A promising technology, still in its infancy, that could show us the method to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels derived from grease or animal-fat that might be used to run diesel motors. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, Jatropha and so on can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It includes no petroleum but can be blended with petroleum diesel for use or might be used in its pure kind.

specifically United States and European Countries have currently made considerable advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually found its usage across markets and verticals and might become an ideal cleaner and cheaper option to fuel, diesel and nonrenewable fuel sources. India has also started exploring the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A number of plants for biodiesel transesterification are currently working in the country where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol usually) to produce bio-diesel.

The main reason for the increasing need for biodiesels is the fact that biodiesels are renewable and carbon-neutral, thus having no net influence on the climate. Besides, bio-diesel operates in compression engines similar to typical petroleum diesel and for this reason can be used with little or no engine adjustments. Biodiesel do not require any different infrastructure for its storage and can be stored similar to the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy need in the nation, increasing petroleum prices and the environmental dangers of fossil fuels, the Indian Government has used up efforts to establish the Bio Diesel Technology in India and established more oil processing systems. The Government revealed its ‘National Biofuel Policy’ on 12 September 2008 which intends to satisfy 20% of India’s diesel need with bio-fuels in the coming years.

Globally, edible veggie oils like sunflower, soya bean, rape seed, palm oil are utilized as the pre-dominant basic materials for oil processing and biodiesel production however in India the optimal capacity to produce biodiesels is from Jatropha oil – a non-edible one produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas. The most significant benefit of using Jatropha as a basic material is that this plant can be grown in big amounts in wastelands all throughout India requiring extremely little water in comparison to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a beneficial lifespan of a number of years. The Jatropha seeds include 40% oil and are considered to be an outstanding source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has actually recognized 400,000 square kilometres of land suitable for the Jatropha cultivation in the country. India now

A study estimates that even if a mixing initiative of 2% Jatropha based Biodiesel is achieved in 2011-12, India will save around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will generate around Rs. 5500 crores in the rural economy and assistance in reduction of Green House Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The federal government is taking steps to motivate the cultivation of Jatropha in India providing totally free seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India requires to now reinforce its efforts to make the fullest use of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the opportunities for extracting biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil ought to likewise be explored. It will not only offer a response to the obstacle of Global Warming but might reduce our dependence on foreign oil and add to our own economy.