The non-renewability, environmental issues and health hazards connected with the nonrenewable fuel sources has led to exploration of alternative sources of energy to replace the traditional ones. An appealing technology, still in its infancy, that might reveal us the way to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels originated from veggie oil or animal-fat that might be used to run diesel motors. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, jatropha curcas and so on can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It contains no petroleum but can be mixed with petroleum diesel for use or might be utilized in its pure form.
Developed nations especially United States and European Countries have currently made substantial advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually discovered its usage across industries and verticals and could become a perfect cleaner and more affordable option to fuel, diesel and fossil fuels. India has also begun exploring the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A variety of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already working in the nation where veggie oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol generally) to produce bio-diesel.
The primary reason for the increasing need for biodiesels is the truth that biodiesels are sustainable and carbon-neutral, thus having no net impact on the climate. Besides, bio-diesel operates in compression engines just like typical petroleum diesel and thus can be utilized 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 country, increasing petroleum rates and the environmental risks of fossil fuels, the Indian Government has actually taken up efforts to establish the Bio Diesel Technology in India and established more oil processing units. The Government revealed its 'National Biofuel Policy' on 12 September 2008 which intends 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 but in India the optimal capacity to produce biodiesels is from jatropha curcas oil - a non-edible one produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas. The most significant benefit of using jatropha curcas as a raw product is that this plant can be grown in big quantities in wastelands all throughout India requiring really little water in contrast to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a useful life-span of numerous years. The jatropha curcas seeds contain 40% oil and are thought about to be an excellent source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has identified 400,000 square kilometres of land ideal for the Jatropha cultivation in the nation. India now
A study approximates that even if a blending initiative of 2% jatropha curcas based Biodiesel is attained in 2011-12, India will conserve around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will generate 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 actions to encourage the growing of jatropha curcas in India supplying totally free seeds, subsidized loans and other facilities. India requires to now reinforce its efforts to make the max usage of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the avenues for drawing out biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil should also be checked out. It will not just offer an answer to the challenge of Global Warming but might reduce our reliance on foreign oil and add to our own economy.
