1 Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour For India
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The non-renewability, ecological concerns and health threats connected with the fossil fuels has actually resulted in exploration of alternative sources of energy to replace the standard ones. A promising innovation, still in its infancy, that could reveal us the method to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels derived from vegetable oil or animal-fat that might 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 includes no petroleum however can be mixed with petroleum diesel for usage or might be utilized in its pure type.

Developed nations particularly United States and European Countries have actually already made significant advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually discovered its usage throughout industries and verticals and might become an and more affordable option to gas, diesel and fossil fuels. India has likewise started checking out the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A variety of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already operating in the country where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol typically) to produce bio-diesel.

The primary reason for the increasing need for biodiesels is the reality that biodiesels are renewable and carbon-neutral, therefore having no net impact on the climate. Besides, bio-diesel operates in compression engines much like regular petroleum diesel and for this reason can be used with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not need any separate infrastructure for its storage and can be kept simply like the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy demand in the country, increasing petroleum prices and the environmental dangers of nonrenewable fuel sources, the Indian Government has actually taken up initiatives to develop the Bio Diesel Technology in India and set up more oil processing systems. The Government revealed 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 vegetable 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 capacity to produce biodiesels is from jatropha curcas oil - a non-edible one produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas. The greatest advantage of using Jatropha as a raw product is that this plant can be grown in huge amounts in wastelands all across India needing extremely 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 outstanding source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has identified 400,000 square kilometres of land suitable for the Jatropha cultivation in the country. India now

A study estimates that even if a mixing effort of 2% jatropha curcas based Biodiesel is achieved in 2011-12, India will conserve around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will produce around Rs. 5500 crores in the rural economy and aid in reduction of Green House Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The federal government is taking steps to encourage the cultivation of Jatropha in India offering totally free seeds, subsidized loans and other facilities. India needs to now reinforce its efforts to make the fullest use of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides jatropha curcas, the opportunities for extracting biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil should also be checked out. It will not only supply an answer to the challenge of Global Warming but could reduce our reliance on foreign oil and add to our own economy.