The non-renewability, environmental concerns and health threats associated with the fossil fuels has actually resulted in exploration of alternative sources of energy to substitute the traditional ones. An appealing innovation, still in its infancy, that might reveal us the method to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels obtained from vegetable oil or animal-fat that could be used to run diesel motors. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, Jatropha etc can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It contains no petroleum but can be blended with petroleum diesel for use or could be utilized in its pure kind.

Developed countries particularly United States and European Countries have actually already made considerable advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually found its usage throughout markets and verticals and might emerge as an ideal cleaner and cheaper alternative to petrol, diesel and fossil fuels. India has actually also begun checking out the opportunities to produce and utilize bio-diesel. A number of plants for biodiesel transesterification are currently functioning in the country where veggie oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol generally) to produce bio-diesel.

The primary reason for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the reality that biodiesels are eco-friendly and carbon-neutral, therefore having no net effect on the environment. Besides, bio-diesel operates in compression engines similar to typical petroleum diesel and thus can be utilized with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not require any different infrastructure for its storage and can be kept simply like the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy need in the nation, increasing petroleum rates and the environmental dangers of nonrenewable fuel sources, the Indian Government has used up efforts to establish the Bio Diesel Technology in India and set up more oil processing systems. The Government announced its 'National Biofuel Policy' on 12 September 2008 which aims to meet 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 used as the pre-dominant raw materials 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 raw material is that this plant can be grown in substantial amounts in wastelands all throughout India needing very little water in contrast to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a beneficial life expectancy of several years. The jatropha curcas seeds include 40% oil and are considered to be an exceptional source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has identified 400,000 square kilometres of land appropriate for the jatropha curcas growing in the nation. India now

A research study estimates that even if a mixing initiative of 2% jatropha curcas based Biodiesel is attained in 2011-12, India will save around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will produce around Rs. 5500 crores in the rural economy and assistance in decrease of Green House Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The federal government is taking steps to motivate the cultivation of jatropha curcas in India providing totally free seeds, subsidized loans and other facilities. India requires to now reinforce its efforts to make the max use of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the avenues for drawing out biodiesel from veggie oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil need to also be explored. It will not just supply a response to the of Global Warming however could decrease our reliance on foreign oil and add to our own economy.