15-09-2017, 11:39 AM
The development of biofuels in India focuses mainly on the cultivation and processing of seeds of Jatropha plants that are very rich in oil (40%). The drivers of this are historical, functional, economic, environmental, moral and political. Jatropha oil has been used in India for several decades as biodiesel for the diesel fuel needs of remote rural and forest communities; jatropha oil can be used directly after extraction (ie, unrefined) in generators and diesel engines. Jatropha has the potential to provide economic benefits at the local level since under proper management it has the potential to grow on dry non-agricultural marginal lands, allowing villagers and farmers to take advantage of non-agricultural land for income generation. In addition, increased production of Jatropha oil provides economic benefits to India at the macroeconomic or national level, as it reduces the country's import bill for fossil fuels for diesel production (the main transportation fuel used in the country). minimizing the expense of India's foreign exchange reserves for fuel, allowing India to increase its growing foreign exchange reserves (which can be better spent on capital expenditures for industrial inputs and production). And because Jatropha oil is carbon neutral, large-scale production will improve the country's carbon footprint. Finally, given that no agricultural land is required to produce this biofuel (unlike maize or ethanol from sugarcane or diesel palm oil), it is considered the most politically acceptable option and morale among India's current biofuels options; has no known negative impact on the production of bulk grain and other vital agricultural commodities that India produces to meet the food needs of its mass population (about 1.1 billion people as of 2008). Other biofuels that move food crops from viable agricultural lands, such as corn ethanol or palm biodiesel, have caused serious price increases for basic food grains and edible oils in other countries.
India's total biodiesel demand is expected to grow to 3.6 million tonnes in 2011-12, with the positive performance of the domestic auto industry. Analysis by Frost & Sullivan, Strategic Analysis of the Indigenous Industry of Biofuels, reveals that the market is emerging and has a long way to go before reaching global competitors.
The Government is currently implementing an ethanol blending program and considering initiatives in the form of mandates for biodiesel. Because of these strategies, increasing population, and growing energy demand from the transportation sector, biofuels can be assured of a significant market in India. On 12 September 2008, the Government of India announced its "National Bio-fuels Policy". Its aim is to satisfy 20% of India's diesel demand with fuel derived from plants. That will mean setting aside 140,000 square kilometers of land. Currently, fuel-producing plants cover less than 5,000 square kilometers.
India's total biodiesel demand is expected to grow to 3.6 million tonnes in 2011-12, with the positive performance of the domestic auto industry. Analysis by Frost & Sullivan, Strategic Analysis of the Indigenous Industry of Biofuels, reveals that the market is emerging and has a long way to go before reaching global competitors.
The Government is currently implementing an ethanol blending program and considering initiatives in the form of mandates for biodiesel. Because of these strategies, increasing population, and growing energy demand from the transportation sector, biofuels can be assured of a significant market in India. On 12 September 2008, the Government of India announced its "National Bio-fuels Policy". Its aim is to satisfy 20% of India's diesel demand with fuel derived from plants. That will mean setting aside 140,000 square kilometers of land. Currently, fuel-producing plants cover less than 5,000 square kilometers.