The search for an alternative fuel to run our diesel engines may finally be over. Jatropha, a wild bush that can be grown on wastelands, has been identified as a promising source of biodiesel.The use of vegetable oils for engine fuel may seem insignificant today. But such oils may become, in course of time, as important as petroleum and coal tar products of the present time.
Rudolf Diesel made this statement more than 90 years ago, and finally it seems to be coming true. Vegetable oil-based biodiesel has made its presence felt in a strong way in recent times as the search for alternative fuels has intensified. Among the several plants that have been identified and tested, Jatropha Curcas has emerged as the best source for biodiesel. Going by the encouraging results it wouldn’t be surprising to see biodiesel from vegetable oils being sold at local petrol stations in a few years.
Initial signs of jatropha-based biodiesel being accepted as an alternative to conventional diesel have been very encouraging indeed. Daimler- Chrysler, the auto manufacturing giant, is funding a research project is funding a research project being conducted by the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) is already using B20 biodiesel (20% Biodiesel 80% conventional diesel) supplied by Southern Online Bio Technologies Ltd., Hyderabad, for plying a few city buses. The Indian Railways too has successfully managed to use biodiesel from jatropha provided by the Indian Oil Corporation to run the Shatabdi Express from Delhi to Amritsar. It subsequently has entered into a tie-up with IOC to cultivate Jatropha Curcas on 500 hectares of land in Gujarat and Rajasthan. |
