The non-renewability, environmental concerns and health threats related to the fossil fuels has actually led to expedition of alternative sources of energy to substitute the traditional ones. A promising technology, still in its infancy, that could reveal us the way to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels derived from vegetable oil or animal-fat that could be used to run diesel engines. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, Jatropha etc can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It consists of no petroleum however can be blended with petroleum diesel for use or could be used in its pure kind.

Developed nations particularly 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 might become a perfect cleaner and less expensive alternative to petrol, diesel and fossil fuels. India has likewise started exploring the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A number of plants for biodiesel transesterification are currently working in the nation where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol typically) to produce bio-diesel.

The primary factor for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the reality that biodiesels are renewable and carbon-neutral, hence having no net effect on the environment. Besides, bio-diesel runs in compression engines much like typical petroleum diesel and hence can be utilized with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not need any different infrastructure for its storage and can be kept much like the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy need in the nation, rising petroleum costs and the ecological hazards of nonrenewable fuel sources, the Indian Government has actually used up efforts to establish 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 veggie oils like sunflower, soya bean, rape seed, palm oil are utilized as the pre-dominant basic 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 greatest advantage of utilizing Jatropha as a raw material is that this plant can be grown in huge amounts in wastelands all across India needing very little water in comparison to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a beneficial life-span of numerous decades. The Jatropha seeds consist of 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 approximates that even if a blending initiative 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 actions to encourage the growing of Jatropha in India providing free seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India requires to now strengthen its efforts to make the maximum use of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the avenues for drawing out biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil must likewise be checked out. It will not just offer an answer to the difficulty of Global Warming but could decrease our reliance on foreign oil and add to our own economy.