Diesel vs electric traction

Bio diesel process at IOC (R & D)

• Base Catalyzed transesterification of oil
• Raw Materials Used
• Rice Bran Oil
• Sun flower oil
• Mohuva Oil
• Rapeseed oil
• Japtropha oil
• Karanjia Oil
• Scale : 100 g to 60 Kg batch

• IOC R & D BIODIESEL PILOT PLANT

The Indian Scene

• Annual Growth rate -8% compared to world average of 2%
• Oil pool deficit & subsidies Rs.16,000 Crores, Rs.18,440 Crores (1996-97)
• Current per capital usage of petroleum is abysmally low (0.1 ton / year) against 4.0 in Germany or 1.5 tons in Malaysia
• Even Malaysia’s figure would be beyond our paying capacity
• Our domestic production would meet only 33% of demand at the end of 10th plan and only 27% by 2010-11
• Investment in Biofuels make strong Economic sense.

Jatropha may be the Answer

• According to the Economic Survey (1995-96), Govt. of India, of the cultivable land area about 100-150 million hectares are classified as waste or degraded land
• Jatropha (Jatropha curcas, Ratanjyot, wild castor) thrives on any type of soil
• Needs minimal inputs or management
• Has no insect, pests & not browsed by cattle or sheep
• Can survive long periods of drought
• Propagation is easy
• Yield from the 3rd year onwards and continues for 25-30 years
• 25% oil from seeds by expelling 30% by solvent extraction
• The meal after extraction an excellent organic manure (38% protein, N:P:K ration 2.7:1.2:1)

• Photograph of Jatropha plant with seeds

EU Initiatives on Biofuels

• Regulatory package COM-2001 / 547 containing action plan and directives
• 20% alternate fuels for gasoline and diesel by 2020
• Major options biofuels, natural gas and biohydrogen
• Biofuels minimum 5.75% in 2010
• Member states can give tax benefits
• Bio fuels to include Bio diesel, Bio ethanol, ETBE, Biogas.
• Objectives :
• Reduce dependency on imported oil
• Greenhouse gas reduction (8% Kyoto)
• Support agricultural sector