Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour for India
The non-renewability, environmental concerns and health threats connected with the has caused expedition of alternative sources of energy to replace the conventional ones. An appealing innovation, still in its infancy, that might reveal us the method to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels derived from grease or animal-fat that might be used to run diesel motors. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, Jatropha etc can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It includes no petroleum however can be combined with petroleum diesel for use or might be utilized in its pure form.
Developed nations particularly United States and European Countries have already made significant advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually found its use throughout markets and verticals and might emerge as a perfect cleaner and less expensive alternative to gas, diesel and nonrenewable fuel sources. India has also begun exploring the opportunities to produce and utilize bio-diesel. A variety of plants for biodiesel transesterification are currently functioning in the nation where veggie oils are reacted with alcohols (ethanol or methanol typically) to produce bio-diesel.
The primary factor for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the truth that biodiesels are sustainable and carbon-neutral, thus having no net effect on the climate. Besides, bio-diesel operates in compression engines simply like typical petroleum diesel and for this reason can be used with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not require any separate infrastructure for its storage and can be kept similar to the petroleum based fuels.
Considering the growing energy demand in the nation, rising petroleum rates and the environmental threats of nonrenewable fuel sources, the Indian Government has taken up initiatives to establish 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 meet 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 utilized as the pre-dominant raw materials for oil processing and biodiesel production but in India the optimal capacity to produce biodiesels is from Jatropha oil – a non-edible one produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas. The most significant benefit of utilizing Jatropha as a basic material is that this plant can be grown in big quantities in wastelands all across India needing very little water in contrast to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a beneficial life expectancy of a number of years. The Jatropha seeds include 40% oil and are considered to be an outstanding source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has recognized 400,000 square kilometres of land ideal for the Jatropha growing in the country. India now
A study estimates that even if a mixing initiative of 2% Jatropha based Biodiesel is attained in 2011-12, India will save around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will generate around Rs. 5500 crores in the rural economy and aid in decrease of Green House Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The government is taking steps to motivate the cultivation of Jatropha in India supplying free seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India needs to now strengthen its efforts to make the fullest use of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the avenues for extracting biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil must likewise be explored. It will not just provide an answer to the difficulty of Global Warming but might reduce our reliance on foreign oil and contribute to our own economy.