The non-renewability, ecological issues and health risks connected with the fossil fuels has caused expedition of alternative sources of energy to substitute the traditional ones. A promising innovation, still in its infancy, that could reveal us the method to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels stemmed from vegetable oil or animal-fat that might be utilized to run diesel engines. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, jatropha curcas etc can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It includes no petroleum but can be mixed with petroleum diesel for use or could be utilized in its pure type.

Developed countries specifically United States and European Countries have currently made significant advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have found its usage across markets and verticals and could emerge as an ideal cleaner and less expensive alternative to petrol, diesel and fossil fuels. India has actually also started checking out the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A number of plants for biodiesel transesterification are currently operating in the nation where veggie oils are reacted with alcohols (ethanol or methanol generally) to produce bio-diesel.

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

Considering the growing energy demand in the nation, increasing petroleum prices and the ecological dangers of nonrenewable fuel sources, the Indian Government has actually used up efforts to develop the Bio Diesel Technology in India and established more oil processing units. The Government revealed its 'National Biofuel Policy' on 12 September 2008 which intends 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 utilized as the pre-dominant raw products for oil processing and biodiesel production however in India the maximum potential to produce biodiesels is from Jatropha oil - a non-edible one produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas. The greatest benefit of using jatropha curcas as a basic material is that this plant can be grown in huge in wastelands all across India requiring really little water in comparison to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a useful life-span of a number of decades. The jatropha curcas seeds contain 40% oil and are thought about to be an outstanding source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has actually recognized 400,000 square kilometres of land appropriate 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 conserve around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will create 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 government is taking actions to encourage the cultivation of jatropha curcas in India offering complimentary seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India requires to now enhance its efforts to make the max usage of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides jatropha curcas, the opportunities for extracting biodiesel from veggie oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil must likewise be explored. It will not only provide an answer to the difficulty of Global Warming however could decrease our dependence on foreign oil and add to our own economy.