Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour For India

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

Developed nations specifically United States and European Countries have actually currently made substantial advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have discovered its usage throughout industries and verticals and might emerge as a perfect cleaner and more affordable alternative to petrol, diesel and nonrenewable fuel sources. India has likewise begun exploring the opportunities to produce and utilize bio-diesel. A number of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already operating in the nation where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol usually) to produce bio-diesel.

The main reason for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the fact that biodiesels are eco-friendly and carbon-neutral, hence having no net effect on the environment. Besides, bio-diesel runs in compression engines similar to normal petroleum diesel and for this reason can be used with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not require any different infrastructure for its storage and can be stored just like the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy demand in the country, increasing petroleum rates and the ecological risks of nonrenewable fuel sources, the Indian Government has actually used up initiatives to establish the Bio Diesel Technology in India and established more oil processing units. The Government revealed its ‘National Biofuel Policy’ on 12 September 2008 which aims to meet 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 raw materials for oil processing and biodiesel production but in India the maximum potential to produce biodiesels is from jatropha curcas oil – a non-edible one produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas. The greatest benefit of utilizing Jatropha as a basic material is that this plant can be grown in big amounts in wastelands all across India requiring extremely little water in contrast to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a beneficial life expectancy of several decades. The Jatropha seeds contain 40% oil and are considered to be an excellent source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has identified 400,000 square kilometres of land suitable for the Jatropha growing in the country. India now

A study approximates that even if a mixing initiative of 2% Jatropha based Biodiesel is attained in 2011-12, India will conserve around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will create around Rs. 5500 crores in the rural economy and help in decrease of Green House Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The government is taking steps to encourage the growing of Jatropha in India offering free seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India requires to now enhance its efforts to make the max usage of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the opportunities for drawing out biodiesel from veggie oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil should likewise be checked out. It will not just supply an answer to the obstacle of Global Warming but could reduce our reliance on foreign oil and add to our own economy.