Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour for India

The non-renewability, ecological concerns and health dangers connected with the fossil fuels has led to expedition of alternative sources of energy to substitute the traditional ones. An appealing innovation, still in its infancy, that might show us the way to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels stemmed from grease or animal-fat that could be utilized 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 consists of no petroleum but can be mixed with petroleum diesel for usage or might be utilized in its pure form.

Developed countries specifically United States and European Countries have currently made considerable advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually discovered its usage throughout industries and verticals and could emerge as a perfect cleaner and more affordable alternative to gas, diesel and fossil fuels. India has actually likewise started exploring the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A variety of plants for biodiesel transesterification are currently functioning in the nation where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol normally) to produce bio-diesel.

The primary reason for the increasing need for biodiesels is the reality 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 typical petroleum diesel and thus can be with little or no engine adjustments. Biodiesel do not need any different facilities for its storage and can be saved similar to the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy demand in the nation, increasing petroleum costs and the environmental hazards of fossil fuels, the Indian Government has taken up initiatives to establish the Bio Diesel Technology in India and established more oil processing units. The Government announced 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 used as the pre-dominant raw products for oil processing and biodiesel production however in India the optimal potential to produce biodiesels is from Jatropha oil – a non-edible one produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas. The biggest advantage of using Jatropha as a raw product is that this plant can be grown in huge amounts in wastelands all across India needing very little water in contrast to other money crops. Once grown, the plant has a useful lifespan of a number of years. The Jatropha seeds contain 40% oil and are considered to be an exceptional source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has actually determined 400,000 square kilometres of land appropriate for the Jatropha cultivation in the nation. India now

A study estimates that even if a blending 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 help in reduction of Green House Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The government is taking actions to encourage the cultivation of Jatropha in India providing totally free seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India needs to now reinforce its efforts to make the maximum use 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 offer a response to the difficulty of Global Warming however might decrease our dependence on foreign oil and contribute to our own economy.