The non-renewability, ecological concerns and health threats related to the nonrenewable fuel sources has actually resulted in exploration of alternative sources of energy to substitute the conventional ones. A promising innovation, still in its infancy, that could reveal us the way to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels stemmed from vegetable oil or animal-fat that might be used to run diesel motors. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, jatropha curcas etc can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It contains no petroleum however can be combined with petroleum diesel for usage or might be utilized in its pure kind.
Developed nations specifically United States and European Countries have currently made substantial advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually discovered its usage across markets and verticals and could become a perfect cleaner and less expensive alternative to petrol, diesel and nonrenewable fuel sources. India has actually also begun checking out the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A number of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already working in the country where vegetable oils are reacted with alcohols (ethanol or methanol normally) to produce bio-diesel.
The main factor 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 operates in compression engines just like regular petroleum diesel and hence can be used with little or no engine adjustments. Biodiesel do not need any different facilities for its storage and can be stored much like the petroleum based fuels.
Considering the growing energy demand in the nation, rising petroleum rates and the environmental hazards of fossil fuels, the Indian Government has actually 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 meet 20% of India's diesel demand 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 materials for oil processing and biodiesel production however in India the optimal 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 curcas as a raw material is that this plant can be grown in substantial amounts in wastelands all across India requiring really little water in contrast to other money crops. Once grown, the plant has a beneficial life-span of a number of years. The Jatropha seeds include 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 curcas growing in the nation. India now
A research study approximates that even if a blending initiative of 2% Jatropha based Biodiesel is accomplished in 2011-12, India will save around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will produce 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 government is taking steps to motivate the growing of Jatropha in India offering free seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India needs to now enhance its efforts to make the maximum usage of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the opportunities for drawing out biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil need to also be checked out. It will not just supply an answer to the difficulty of Global Warming however could reduce our dependence on foreign oil and contribute to our own economy.
