Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour For India
The non-renewability, environmental concerns and health threats related to the nonrenewable fuel sources has actually resulted in exploration of alternative sources of energy to replace the conventional ones. A promising innovation, still in its infancy, that might show us the way to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels obtained from vegetable oil or animal-fat that could be utilized to run diesel engines. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, jatropha curcas and so on can be to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It consists of no petroleum however can be mixed with petroleum diesel for usage or might be utilized in its pure form.
Developed countries particularly United States and European Countries have currently made significant advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually discovered its usage across industries and verticals and could emerge as a perfect cleaner and more affordable option to petrol, diesel and fossil fuels. India has likewise begun exploring the chances to produce and utilize bio-diesel. A number of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already operating in the nation where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol generally) to produce bio-diesel.
The primary factor for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the fact that biodiesels are sustainable and carbon-neutral, thus 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 used with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not require any separate facilities for its storage and can be kept much like the petroleum based fuels.
Considering the growing energy need in the country, rising petroleum costs and the environmental risks of fossil fuels, the Indian Government has actually taken up initiatives to develop the Bio Diesel Technology in India and established more oil processing systems. The Government revealed its 'National Biofuel Policy' on 12 September 2008 which aims to satisfy 20% of India's diesel demand with bio-fuels in the coming years.
Globally, edible vegetable 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 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 utilizing Jatropha as a basic material is that this plant can be grown in big amounts in wastelands all across India requiring really little water in contrast to other money crops. Once grown, the plant has a useful life-span of numerous decades. The Jatropha seeds contain 40% oil and are thought about to be an excellent source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has actually identified 400,000 square kilometres of land suitable for the jatropha curcas cultivation in the country. India now
A study estimates that even if a mixing initiative of 2% jatropha curcas based Biodiesel is accomplished in 2011-12, India will conserve 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 federal government is taking actions to encourage the growing of jatropha curcas in India providing complimentary seeds, subsidized loans and other facilities. 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 vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil need to likewise be explored. It will not only provide an answer to the challenge of Global Warming however might reduce our reliance on foreign oil and contribute to our own economy.