Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour For India

The non-renewability, ecological concerns and health hazards related to the nonrenewable fuel sources has led to expedition of alternative sources of energy to substitute the standard ones. A promising technology, still in its infancy, that might show us the method to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels stemmed from veggie oil 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 subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It includes no petroleum however can be mixed with petroleum diesel for usage or could be utilized in its pure form.

Developed nations particularly United States and European Countries have actually currently made substantial advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have found its use across industries and verticals and could emerge as an ideal cleaner and less expensive option to petrol, diesel and fossil fuels. India has actually also started exploring the chances to produce and use bio-diesel. A number of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already operating in the country where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol generally) to produce bio-diesel.

The main reason for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the truth that biodiesels are eco-friendly and carbon-neutral, hence having no net effect on the climate. Besides, bio-diesel runs in compression engines much like normal petroleum diesel and for this reason can be utilized with little or no engine adjustments. Biodiesel do not require any separate infrastructure for its storage and can be stored much like the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy need in the country, rising petroleum rates and the environmental risks of fossil fuels, the Indian Government has used up initiatives to develop the Bio Diesel Technology in India and established more oil processing systems. The Government announced its ‘National Biofuel Policy’ on 12 September 2008 which intends to fulfill 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 maximum capacity 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 requiring very little water in to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a helpful life expectancy of a number of decades. The Jatropha seeds consist of 40% oil and are considered to be an exceptional source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has determined 400,000 square kilometres of land suitable for the Jatropha cultivation in the country. India now

A study estimates that even if a blending 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 aid in decrease of Green House Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The federal government is taking actions to motivate the cultivation of Jatropha in India offering totally free seeds, subsidized loans and other facilities. India needs to now strengthen its efforts to make the max usage of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the avenues for extracting biodiesel from veggie oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil must likewise be explored. It will not only provide an answer to the challenge of Global Warming but might decrease our reliance on foreign oil and add to our own economy.