Indian National Biofuel Policy?

Indian National Biofuel Policy? There is no National Biofuels policy to address the following issues : 1. Resolving ownership issues of 40 million hectares of wasteland to bring it under jatropha cultivation. 2. Setting up quality standards for biofuels, incentives and rationalisation of duty structures. 3. Setting up production targets of a minimum of 2.3 million hectares under cultivation. 4. Putting up a legal framework to promote and sustain biofuels production and usage.

Indian Biodiesel Projects

1. Shirke Biohealthcare (Pune) has invested six crores so farin biodisel. 10 Tonnes of Biodisel are made daily and supplied to Pune Municipa Transport. The refinery has a capacity of 5000 litres daily. They are also setting up a 60000 hectare plantation in Papua New Guinea and a 300000 hectare project in Indonesia. 2. Jain Irrigation (Jalgaon) has 105 acres under jatropha and is planning a 150,000tonnes per day plant in Chattisgarh with one million hectares to be brought under jatropha. 3. Nova Bio Fuels (Panipat) is planning a 30 tonnes per day plant. 4. Natural Bioenergy (Kakinada) has a 300 tonne facility. 5. Reliance Energy has a pilot project of200 acres in Jamnagar. 6. BP has invested $9.4 million in Andhra Pradesh. 7. D1 Oils UK has invested 6 crores in Tamil Nadu.

Bio-Diesel – Run your car on it!

Bio-Diesel – Run your car on it! By: GuideMeGreen It’s likely that the farmers would blockade the countries roads for starters! Unfortunately, the possibility of this happening are becoming more and more likely with increasing tensions around the world leading to ever increasing oil prices and volatility in the world markets. Fossil fuels are running out an alarming rate and people are starting to look seriously at other alternatives. Needless to say, an increase in oil prices will create hardships to the economy and in every person’s life. But some people state that the only way to get them to use public transport or to walk the 5 minutes to the local shop instead of driving is to price them out of using their cars for inefficient journeys. Increasingly people and making their own biodiesel fuel from used cooking oil to run their cars to reduce their dependence on oil. Biodiesel is made from vegetable oil (including used oil) in a process called •transesterification•, whereby the glycerine is separated from the oil leaving a clean burning fuel that will efficiently power any diesel engine with vastly reduced exhaust emissions this is good for the environment. People have been deserting their local petrol station in favour of using waste vegetable oil from large scale users such as pubs, restaurants, or pure oil off the shelf. The government is becoming aware of this use of cheaper, alternative fuel and is targeting this eco method as they are not paying tax on this oil which they would be doing if they bought petrol. The government appears to pay lip service to reducing climate change as the small number of Bio-diesal users are being targeted for tax evasion instead of encouraged to use this eco friendly fuel. Where is the incentive for current Bio-diesel users and companies to invest in research and development? For those of you that are thinking of making the change there are different process or kits available to convert car engines and these cost between £400 and £1,200. All you need to add is vegetable oil, methanol, a small amount of catalyst, electricity and tap water into this conversion and your ready to go! Oh….. and don’t forget to tell the taxman. Save energy by using renewable products available via companies listed in GuideMeGreen. Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com David Oglaza is the founder of the Green and Ethical directory www.guidemegreen.com. This growing green resource lists 100s of Organic, Fairtrade, Eco and Ethical companies. Green jobs and a discussion board coming soon!

Biodiesel Fuel

Biodiesel Fuel By: Daniel Roshard - Biodiesel fuel is becoming more and more popular, which is no wonder, the soaring gas prices and the growing environmental awareness brings society to a point where it needs to consider its energy consumption carefully. With the rising price of gasoline and the prospect of even higher prices, it’s becoming evident that most people need to start looking for an alternative fuel source. Most of the people around never heard of biodiesel fuel. It’s a fuel that is made from vegetable oil. The vegetable oil is run through a bio diesel processor and within hours you have a batch of bio diesel fuel that you can use in your vehicle. Bio diesel is the new energy star, the name is a general one for a variety of ester-based oxygenated fuels made from soybean oil or other vegetable oils or animal fats. It is produced by mixing oils with alcohol or petroleum diesel fuel. The organic oil is most often obtained from soybeans. Some people even try to make Bio diesel at home, but this is not something I would recommend to everyone, you should really need to know what you are doing when you try and make your own fuel. The beautiful thing about Bio diesel is that you can run it on most cars, without any pricy motor or engine modifications, its something that saves money all around, so the advantages are clear, however you will need to learn this subject seriously before you start using or making bio diesel. If you are considering trying this process you’ll want to do a bit of research in order to be completely informed. The Internet of course has many sites devoted to biodiesel and its advantages. You can also find companies that will sell and ship you a kit that you can begin using immediately to make the fuel. The bio diesel kit is often referred to as SVO, and is perfect for most drivers to use, these kits provide you with the tools to build a device that will do the work for you, and prepare the bio diesel before it gets to the engine. The Bio Diesel kits usually include a heating device, thermostat and special rubber hoses that are not effected by the oils involved in the process. Water heater processors help recovering excess methanol that is created during the chemical reaction that creates biodiesel. This cuts the cost per gallon for diesel even further. The price of the bio diesel fuel kit varies significantly so you will want to research the pros and cons of the kit before buying and installing it, you should also make sure that your car is adaptable for use of this new fuel system and that your car maker allows the use of it, no one wants to discover that he is not covered for damages because he installed a bio diesel fuel kit, so make absolutely sure that your car guarantee covers this option and that your car maker allows the use biodiesel. Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com Daniel Roshard is an interior designer and environmental activist, studying the integration of traditional house appliances to gardens and outdoors. Daniel writes Biodiesel articles for ZupaTips.com

Fuel Economy And Personal Choices

Fuel Economy And Personal Choices By: Donovan Baldwin Copyright 2006 Donovan Baldwin I used to be an over-the-road, long haul truck driver. For a while, I even owned and drove my own truck. As an owner-operator, I became interested in fuel economy, and very aware of how personal choices can affect fuel economy and fuel costs. I'm off the road now, although I still travel a great deal, mainly by car. Like everyone else, I have listened to, and watched, news stories, discussions, and interviews on the present and future state of energy and energy sources. As a business man and private citizen who travels extensively by car, both for business and pleasure, I am concerned about present costs and those which might be expected in the future. Even more, however, I am becoming concerned about what might be my future, if I live long enough, and what will almost certainly be the energy future of my grandchildren, if not my children. As a result of these concerns, I have begun to think more about the changes that I and others can make to alleviate some of the coming ecological and economic problems related to fuel. Because of my experiences past and present, I have some thoughts on the subjects of travel, the operation of vehicles, and the modern driver. I would like to make a couple of points, particularly as these subjects and fuel economy meet at the nexus of choice. For years, I have watched drivers drive far in excess of the posted speeds or rational speeds for the conditions in which they found themselves. I have witnessed several situations in which the driver created or arrived at a dangerous situation as a result of this need for speed and I have had several opportunities to view the sad results of these choices. Many of these individuals will eventually either grow up or remove themselves from the gene pool. In the meantime, they will continue to drive in this manner, and many will drive this way into old age. I remember one long traffic jam in Utah that resulted from a driver's attempt to find out what his new Porsche "could do". In the words of another truck driver on the scene, "It could kill him. That's what it could do." However, let's just talk about speed from the viewpoint of fuel economy. I regularly see interviews with "the consumer" on TV. Often these people are bemoaning the money they have to spend on fuel. Daily, these people, or those just like them, blow down the road at high rates of speed when driving a few miles more slowly could result in appreciable real money savings, especially at today's fuel prices. Many of these cars are hardly fuel efficient in the first place, and, when operating at such high speeds become super-gas-guzzlers! Many of these people also rush up to stop signs and stop lights, maintaining their speed or accelerating until the last minute before treading heavily on the brake. They seem to give no thought to the fact that accelerating to a place where you are going to have to stop is equivalent to throwing money out the window, not to mention simply wasting fuel and causing the next expensive brake job to arrive more quickly. For many, the simple act of looking at what is happening ahead of them and removing their foot from the accelerator before arriving at a point where they HAVE TO STOP could result in savings in fuel and money. There are many fuel efficient cars available, including a wide and growing range of hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius I recently bought. But, there are a great many people who insist on purchasing gas-guzzling SUV's or so-called luxury vehicles, even when they are not needed! I recently took a trip in my very comfortable Prius and averaged approximately 56 miles per gallon. Interestingly enough, on the second day of my trip, I was passed by another Prius going about 70 miles per hour. The owner had possibly bought a hybrid vehicle in hopes of saving money by improved fuel economy, but apparently chose not to change his or her driving habits (they went by too fast for me to see if it was a man or a woman driver) to get the maximum possible fuel economy. I am sure that many SUV owners, as well as the rest of the public, wish they could save even a few cents on fuel. Properly inflated tires can help do this as can properly maintained cars in general. Every day, I see several cars with obvious low tires, and believe I can accurately assume that many drivers do not perform regular maintenance checks on their vehicles nor do they have regular oil changes done. In an article I wrote about a year ago, I mentioned how a service station owner had pointed out to me years ago that his number of towing calls, tire sales, and vehicle repairs had increased since the advent of self-service gas stations and convenience stores. Relatively few people then, and probably not so many today, performed the regular maintenance chores necessary for optimum vehicle life and efficiency, as well as fuel economy. These are just a few choices each of us has almost every day. Each is an opportunity to save money, lower personal expenses, and help, at least in some small way, to extend the dwindling resources available to all of us. Accepting the responsibility to make these decisions and act on them as a mature and responsible individual is a way to reduce out-of-pocket fuel costs, as well as the depletion of a diminishing supply of petroleum for fuel and lubrication of our beloved vehicles. Other choices we might make could include the use of synthetic lubricants, alternative fuels such as ethanol, particularly E85, or biodiesel. Rather than simply demanding that the government should "do something", we should tell them what to do! We can demand that they choose to help expand the development of renewable energy technology, synthetic petroleum substitutes, and alternative fuels while ending the appearance of collusion between government and oil interests. Our choices, and those of business and government, will determine the future conditions of life on this planet, as well as the current condition of our personal finances. Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com The author's experiences as a longhaul truck driver who owned his own truck led him to follow up on various methods of saving money on operating costs while prolonging the life of his equipment. You may learn more on this subject at fuel-economy.lube2005.com/

Renewable Energy: Biodiesel

Renewable Energy: Biodiesel By: Donovan Baldwin Copyright 2006 Donovan Baldwin You may have heard of biodiesel (or even biowillie), but for those who don't know much about it, we will get to an explanation of it in a moment. I just wanted to start with a small list of the benefits of using biodiesel. BENEFITS OF BIODIESEL Requires no special delivery equipment and can use existing infrastructure. Can be used in present diesel engines without modification Reduces carbon dioxide emissions from 15% to over 75% over petroleum diesel, based on the biodiesel blend. Emits fewer air pollutants in general. It is a completely renewable fuel. Reduces dependence on foreign oil. It is safer to handle, store and transport than petrolem diesel. WHAT IS BIODIESEL? Biodiesel is a renewable diesel fuel which can be made from waste products such as vegetable oils and animal fats, or even from vegetable matter, such as corn, which is specifically intended to produce it. While not often used as "neat" or pure biodiesel, also known as B100, blends of up to 20% are common and can be used in most diesel powered equipment with no modification at all. There are some engines, built since 1994, which can use B100. It should be mentioned, however, that experts recommend that users check with their engine manufacturers to see if there might be a conflict or problem. There is still some uncertainty about how the use of biodiesel fuel, particularly B100, may affect the life of the engine. As pointed out in the section on benefits (above), biodiesel fuel reduces air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. MAKING BIODIESEL Three great things about biodiesel fuel is that it is renewable, biodegradeable, and non-toxic. Biodiesel is the name given to acid methyl esters intended for use as fuel. Another product formed during the production of biodiesel is glycerol, which is widely used in cosmetics. Slightly over half of the production resources can use any fat or oil, including recycled cooking grease. The remaining producers primarily uses vegetable oils. Due mainly to cost considerations, soy oil is the prime source for most commercial production. It is estimated that approximately 5% of on-road biodiesel could be produced from all sources under optimum conditions. THE MARKET AND THE INCENTIVES Biodiesel is in wide use among such entities as the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, and Agriculture. Many school districts, municipal transit authorities, national parks, public utility companies, and garbage and recycling companies also use the fuel. It is also becoming more popular among trucking companies, truck owners, and farmers thanks in part to the efforts of country singer Willie Nelson, who now has his own brand known as BioWillie. At the time this article is being written, there is a tax incentive offered as a federal tax credit. This incentive is mainly being taken by producers who are passing it on to consumers in the form of a price reduction at the pump. The USDA estimates this incentive will bring production of biodiesel to at least 124 million gallons per year. Other factors, such as costs of petroleum sources could cause an even higher production. AVAILABILITY Fleet owners have found that it is not particularly difficult to set up their own biodiesel fueling facilities. While there are some practical considerations which might need to be overcome, fleet owners are finding that it offers some rewards economically as well as in terms of safety and responsibility as this fuel is, and is seen by the community as, being ecologically sensible. Some of the business and government entities happy with their biodiesel refit are: L. L. Bean, the U. S. Military, and Cranmore Mountain Resort in New Hampshire. Of particular interest was that Yellowstone National Park confirmed in their study of the feasibility of using biodiesel fueled trucks that park bears did not seem to be particularly attracted to vehicles fueled by this food-based diesel product. While commercial availability is growing and more stations and truck stops are adding biodiesel, it can still be difficult to locate, particularly for the traveler. The federal government offers a Biodiesel Locator service at its Alternative Fuel Data Center at http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/infrastructure/locator.html , and there is a BioWillie Locator as well at http://www.wnbiodiesel.com/locations.html . Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com Donovan Baldwin is a Dallas area writer and internet entrepreneur. A graduate of the University of West Florida, member of Mensa, and retired from the U. S. Army, he now writes articles for other internet entrepreneurs and ezine purblishers. He has a blog on renewable energy and related topics at hybridcarsalternativefuelsandmore.blogspot.com/

Biodiesel The Alternative Fuel

Biodiesel The Alternative Fuel By: Malcolm Moorhouse - What Is Biodiesel? Biodiesel is a fuel made from vegetable oils. Rapeseed and soybean oils are the most commonly used, although other vegetables oils such as mustard, palm oil, hemp and jatropha have been tried and seem to show a lot of potential. These are listed or called Virgin Oil Feedstock. Then we have the waste vegetable oils which are byproducts from animal fats like tallow, lard and yellow grease. It is suggested by many that waste vegetable oil is the best source of oil to produce biodiesel. Biodiesel is an environmentally friendly alternative to the petroleum diesel we use today which as higher emissions that pollute our towns, cities and environment. Biodiesel however is old news in one sense because Dr Rudolf Diesel the inventor of the diesel engine was showing his newly invented engine at the Paris exhibition, it was running on peanut oil. During a speech at the same exhibition he was quoted as saying "the diesel engine can be fed with vegetable oils and will help considerably in the development of the agriculture of the countries which use it." So it seems that the diesel engine was designed to run on biodiesel fuel right from the beginning. Biodiesel is a clean burning fuel which would reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of todays vehicles by up to 100%. Biodiesel is also biodegradable and non-toxic. The use of biodiesel is definitely becoming more popular in America and the UK, more and more petrol stations are beginning to sell biodiesel in the UK. Even celebrities like Willy Nelson, is not only using it to run his tour buses, he as also opened a chain of petrol stations to sell biodiesel too. So to summarize some of the benefits of using biodiesel: 1. Biodiesel is an environmentally friendly fuel. 2. It is a clean burning fuel. 3. It will reduce carbon dioxide emissions 4. Biodiesel is made from waste vegetable oils Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com Malcolm Moorhouse www.biodiesel-site.com info@biodiesel-site.com

Biodiesel And It's Many Uses By: MikeB With gas prices increasing and growing environmental awareness, the need to consider alternate energy and fuel sources are becoming a necessity. One alternative is the use of Biodiesel fuel, which is becoming more and more popular today. Because Biodiesel is a cleaner-burning diesel fuel, made from 100% natural, 100% renewable vegetable sources, its uses in today's society may surprise you. Below are nine ways Biodiesel is being used. Some of which you may never have realized. 1) Biodiesel Car Rental - Yes that's right. A Maui and Los Angeles car rental rents cars that run on Biodiesel. These cars get between 400 and 800 miles per tank! Not bad when consider the price of gas these days. 2) Home heating fuel - More people are taking a look at Biodiesel as an alternative for heating their home. Most oil-fired or boiler furnaces can use Biodiesel (B20), which is a fuel made of 80 percent traditional heating oil and 20 percent Biodiesel. Some people are getting their furnaces adapted to be able to burn B100, a fuel made entirely of vegetable oils, which burns much cleaner than traditional heating oil. 3) Electricity Generation - Diesel generators that produce electricity are now running on Biodiesel fuel. A superior alternative to the typical coal burning electricity generating plants currently being used in the United States. Running on Biodiesel is an inexpensive, clean and renewable way of creating electricity. 4) Trucking Industry - More and more truckers are switching from diesel fuel to Biodiesel fuel. The benefits are numerous not to mention the advantage of helping the environment and reducing our dependency on foreign oil, while saving money. 5) Agriculture - Not only a producer of Biodiesel, but also a consumer. Tractors, reapers, tillers, pickers, conveyors, generators, pumps, and irrigation systems which normally uses diesel fuel, now use Biodiesel to fuel their work, bringing agriculture full circle from producer to consumer. 6) Marine Vehicles - Commercial fleets such as ferries, recreational yachts, sailboats, and motor boats are all candidates for Biodiesel. For example Pacific Whale Foundation, located in Hawaii, use Biodiesel bin their boats. 7) Tax Incentive - The IRS is offering tax incentives to anyone that produce and use Biodiesel fuel. The US Government is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by giving producers of Biodiesel fuel government funds. The tax incentive works to help tax paying customers by lowering the cost of the fuel bill. 8) Lubrication Additive - Because Biodiesel is a better lubricant than current low-sulfur petroleum, fuel injectors and other types of fuel pumps can rely on Biodiesel fuel for lubrication. With the right additives, engine performance can also be enhanced, making engines last longer. Other numerous applications can also make use of it's lubricate properties, such as concrete forms and asphalt trucks. Its solvent properties also make it a safe parts cleaner, reducing skin and eye irritation associated with other cleaners. 9) Cleaner Environment - Biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide exhaust emissions by up to 80%. Because of this, Biodiesel has the potential to reduce air toxics and cancer causing compounds. Something we all can live with! If spilled, it will quickly degrade into natural organic residues, without polluting the environment. Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com Mike Boyd - For the latest information on biodiesel fuel, vehicles, processors and making biodiesel visit us at www.biodiesel.2clixs.com

Advantages Of Jatropha Curcas :

Oil yield per hectare is among the highest of tree borne oil seeds. It can be grown in areas of low rainfall (500 mm per year) and in problem soils. In high rainfall and irrigated areas too it can be grown with much higher yields. Therefore, it can be grown in most parts of the country. It can be grown in desert areas, with the help of drip irrigation. Jatropha is easy to establish, grows relatively quickly and is hardy. Jatropha lends itself to plantation with advantage on lands developed on watershed basis and on low fertility marginal, degraded, fallow, waste and other lands such as along the canals, roads railway tracks, on borders of farmers’ fields as a boundary fence or live hedge in the arid / semi-arid areas and even on alkaline soils. As such it can be used to reclaim waste lands in the forests and outside. Jatropha seeds are easy to collect as they are ready to be plucked after the rainy season and as the plants are not very tall. Jatropha is not browsed by animals. Being rich in nitrogen, the seed cake is an excellent source of plant nutrients. Seed production ranges from about 0.4 tons per hectare in first year to over 5 tons per hectare after 3 years. The plant starts giving seed in a maximum period of two years after planting. Raising plants in nurseries, planting and maintaining them and collection of seed are labour intensive activities. Except for the cost of fertiliser and transportation of the plants from the nursery, all the activities in the nurseries and in plantation consist of labour. Various parts of the plant are of medicinal value, its bark contains tannin, the flowers attract bees and thus the plant has honey production potential. Like all trees, Jatropha removes carbon from the atmosphere, stores it in the woody tissues and assists in the build up of soil carbon. It is thus environment friendly. Jatropha can be established from seeds, 3 months old seedlings and vegetatively from cuttings. Use of branch cutting for propagation is easy and results in rapid growth. The plant is undemanding in soil type and does not require tillage.

Biodiesel Processing

Processing of Biodiesel consists of the following steps : Plantation of Jatropha curcas Collection of Oil bearing seeds Processing of seeds to produce oil and seed cake. Processing of cake to get Bio Gas and Bio Fertilizer Manufacture of biodiesel

Jatropha curcas : The origin of Biodiesel

Jatropha curcas is a small tree or shrub with smooth gray bark, which exudes a whitish colored, watery, latex when cut. Normally, it grows between three and five meters in height, but can attain a height of up to eight or ten meters under favourable conditions. It is the best of all types of Jatropha plants for biodiesel extraction. Leaves : It has large green to pale-green leaves, alternate to sub-opposite, three-to five-lobed with a spiral phyllotaxis. Flowers : The petiole length ranges between 6-23 mm. The inflorescence is formed in the leaf axil. Flowers are formed terminally, individually, with female flowers usually slightly larger and occurs in the hot seasons. In conditions where continuous growth occurs, an unbalance of pistillate or staminate flower production results in a higher number of female flowers. More number of female flowers are grown by the plant if bee keeping is done alongwith. More female flowers give more number of seeds. Fruits : Fruits are produced in winter when the shrub is leafless, or it may produce several crops during the year if soil moisture is good and temperatures are sufficiently high. Each inflorescence yields a bunch of approximately 10 or more ovoid fruits. A three, bi-valved cocci is formed after the seeds mature and the fleshy exocarp dries.

What is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is obtained by transesterification of vegetable oil or animal fat which reacts with methanol, in presence of a catalyst, to give the methyl esters of the Fatty Acid mixtures found in these fats. CATALYST VEGETABLE OIL + ALCOHOL ----------------->BIODIESEL + GLYCEROL