The non-renewability, environmental issues and health hazards connected with the nonrenewable fuel sources has resulted in exploration of alternative sources of energy to substitute the standard ones. A promising technology, still in its infancy, that might show us the way to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels originated from vegetable oil or animal-fat that might be used 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 consists of no petroleum but can be mixed with petroleum diesel for usage or could be utilized in its pure type.
Developed nations especially United States and European Countries have already made significant advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually found its use across industries and verticals and could emerge as an ideal cleaner and less expensive option to fuel, diesel and nonrenewable fuel sources. India has also begun exploring the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A variety of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already functioning in the nation where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol usually) to produce bio-diesel.
The main reason for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the fact that biodiesels are renewable and carbon-neutral, hence having no net influence on the environment. Besides, bio-diesel runs in compression engines just like typical petroleum diesel and hence can be utilized with little or no engine adjustments. Biodiesel do not require any separate facilities for its storage and can be saved much like the petroleum based fuels.
Considering the growing energy demand in the country, rising petroleum rates and the ecological threats of fossil fuels, the Indian Government has taken up efforts to develop the Bio Diesel Technology in India and set up more oil processing units. The Government announced its 'National Biofuel Policy' on 12 September 2008 which aims 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 used as the pre-dominant basic 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 most significant benefit of using jatropha curcas as a raw product is that this plant can be grown in big amounts in wastelands all across India needing extremely little water in comparison to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a helpful life expectancy of a number of years. The jatropha curcas 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 cultivation in the nation. 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 create 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 federal government is taking actions to encourage the growing of jatropha curcas in India supplying complimentary seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India requires to now reinforce its efforts to make the max usage of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the avenues for extracting biodiesel from veggie oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil ought to likewise be explored. It will not only offer a to the challenge of Global Warming however might decrease our dependence on foreign oil and add to our own economy.
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Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour For India
Kelley Meagher edited this page 3 months ago