Mission NewEnergy Ltd

Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour for India

The non-renewability, environmental concerns and health risks connected with the fossil fuels has caused exploration of alternative sources of energy to replace the conventional ones. An appealing innovation, still in its infancy, that could show us the method to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels originated from vegetable oil or animal-fat that could be utilized to run diesel motors. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, Jatropha etc can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It contains no petroleum however can be blended with petroleum diesel for usage or could be used in its pure kind.

Developed countries particularly United States and European Countries have currently made significant advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have discovered its usage across industries and verticals and could emerge as an ideal cleaner and cheaper option to petrol, diesel and nonrenewable fuel sources. India has also started exploring the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A variety of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already working in the country where veggie oils are reacted with alcohols (ethanol or methanol generally) to produce bio-diesel.

The primary factor for the increasing need for biodiesels is the truth that biodiesels are eco-friendly and carbon-neutral, thus having no net effect on the environment. Besides, bio-diesel runs in compression engines much like regular petroleum diesel and thus can be utilized with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not require any different infrastructure for its storage and can be kept much like the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy demand in the nation, increasing petroleum prices and the ecological hazards of nonrenewable fuel sources, 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 aims 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 raw products for oil processing and biodiesel production but in India the maximum potential to produce biodiesels is from Jatropha oil – a non-edible one produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas. The greatest benefit of using Jatropha as a raw product is that this plant can be grown in huge quantities in wastelands all throughout India needing very little water in comparison to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a useful life expectancy of a number of decades. The Jatropha seeds contain 40% oil and are considered to be an exceptional source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has actually recognized 400,000 square kilometres of land ideal for the Jatropha cultivation in the country. India now

A study estimates that even if a mixing initiative of 2% Jatropha based Biodiesel is accomplished 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 decrease of Green House Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The federal government is taking actions to encourage the cultivation of Jatropha in totally free seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India needs 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 also be checked out. It will not just offer a response to the challenge of Global Warming however could reduce our reliance on foreign oil and add to our own economy.