Biofuel in India

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Biofuel development in India centres mainly around the cultivation and
processing of Jatropha plant seeds which are very rich in oil (40%). The
drivers for this are historic, functional, economic, environmental, moral and
political. Jatropha oil has been used in India for several decades as biodiesel
for the diesel fuel requirements of remote rural and forest communities;
jatropha oil can be used directly after extraction (i.e. without refining) in
diesel generators and engines. Jatropha has the potential to provide
economic benefits at the local level since under suitable management it has
the potential to grow in dry marginal non-agricultural lands, thereby allowing
villagers and farmers to leverage non-farm land for income generation. As
well, increased Jatropha oil production delivers economic benefits to India on
the macroeconomic or national level as it reduces the nation's fossil fuel
import bill for diesel production (the main transportation fuel used in the
country); minimising the expenditure of India's foreign-currency reserves for
fuel allowing India to increase its growing foreign currency reserves (which
can be better spent on capital expenditures for industrial inputs and
production). And since Jatropha oil is carbon-neutral, large-scale production
will improve the country's carbon emissions profile. Finally, since no food
producing farmland is required for producing this biofuel (unlike corn or sugar
cane ethanol, or palm oil diesel), it is considered the most politically and
morally acceptable choice among India's current biofuel options; it has no
known negative impact on the production of the massive amounts grains and
other vital agriculture goods India produces to meet the food requirements of
its massive population (circa 1.1 Billion people as of 2008). Other biofuels
which displace food crops from viable agricultural land such as corn ethanol
or palm biodiesel have caused serious price increases for basic food grains
and edible oils in other countries.

Seeds from the Jatropha curcas plant are used for the production of bio-fuel, a
crucial part of India's plan to attain energy sustainability.
India's total biodiesel requirement is projected to grow to 3.6 million tonnes in
201112, with the positive performance of the domestic automobile industry.
Analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Strategic Analysis of the Indian Biofuels
Industry, reveals that the market is an emerging one and has a long way to
go before it catches up with global competitors.[1]

The Government is currently implementing an ethanol-blending program and

considering initiatives in the form of mandates for biodiesel. Due to these
strategies, the rising population, and the growing energy demand from the
transport sector, biofuels can be assured of a significant market in India. On
12 September 2008, the Indian Government announced its 'National Biofuel
Policy'. It aims to meet 20% of India's diesel demand with fuel derived from
plants. That will mean setting aside 140,000 square kilometres of land.
Presently fuel yielding plants cover less than 5,000 square kilometres.[1]

Contents [hide]
1 Jatropha incentives in India
2 Implementation
2.1 Indian Railways
2.2 Andhra Pradesh
2.3 Chhattisgarh
2.4 Karnataka
2.5 Tamil Nadu
2.6 Rajasthan
2.7 Maharashtra
2.8 Ahmednagar
2.9 Eastern India
2.10 Practices
3 See also
4 References
5 Further reading
Jatropha incentives in India[edit]
Main article: Jatropha biodiesel
Jatropha incentives in India is a part of India's goal to achieve energy
independence by the year 2012. Jatropha oil is produced from the seeds of
the Jatropha curcas, a plant that can grow in wastelands across India, and the

oil is considered to be an excellent source of bio-diesel. India is keen on

reducing its dependence on coal and petroleum to meet its increasing energy
demand and encouraging Jatropha cultivation is a crucial component of its
energy policy. However, in recent times the bio-fuel policy has come under
critical review, on the way it has been promoted.[2]

Large plots of waste land have been selected for Jatropha cultivation and will
provide much needed employment to the rural poor of India.[3] Businesses
are also seeing the planting of Jatropha as a good business opportunity.[4]
The Government of India has identified 400,000 square kilometres (98 million
acres) of land where Jatropha can be grown, hoping it will replace 20% of
India's diesel consumption by 2011.[5] Life-cycle analysis studies have shown
favourable energy balance for production of jatropha-based biodiesel in India
and also a potential GHG emission saving of 33-42% compared to fossil-based
diesel. [6]

Implementation[edit]
The ex President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, is one of the strong advocaters of
jatropha cultivation for production of bio-diesel.[7] In his recent speech, the
Former President said that out of the 600,000 km of wasteland that is
available in India over 300,000 km are suitable for Jatropha cultivation. Once
this plant is grown the plant has a useful lifespan of several decades. During
its life, Jatropha requires very little water when compared to other cash crops.

Recently, the State Bank of India provided a boost to the cultivation of

Jatropha in India by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with D1 Mohan,
a joint venture of D1 Oils plc, to give loans to the tune of 1.3 billion rupees to
local farmers in India. Farmers will also be able to pay back the loan with the
money that D1 Mohan pays for the Jatropha seeds.

Indian Railways[edit]
The Indian Railways has started to use the oil (blended with diesel fuel in
various ratios) from the Jatropha plant to power its diesel engines with great
success. Currently the diesel locomotives that run from Thanjavur to Nagore
section and Tiruchirapalli to Lalgudi, Dindigul and Karur sections run on a
blend of Jatropha and diesel oil.[8]

Andhra Pradesh[edit]
Andhra Pradesh has entered into a formal agreement with Reliance Industries
for Jatropha planting. The company has selected 200 acres (0.81 km2) of land
at Kakinada to grow jatropha for high quality bio-diesel fuel.[9] Kerala is
planning a massive Jatropha planting campaign.[10]

Chhattisgarh[edit]
Chhattisgarh has decided to plant 160 million saplings of jatropha in all its 16
districts during 2006 with the aim of becoming a bio-fuel self-reliant state by
2015.[11] Chhattisgarh plans to earn Rs. 40 billion annually by selling seeds
after 2010. The central government has provided Rs. 135 million to
Chhattisgarh in 2013 for developing jatropha nursery facilities.

In May 2005, Chief Minister Raman Singh became the first head of a state
government to use jatropha diesel for his official vehicle. Chhattisgarh plans
to replace with jatropha fuel all state-owned vehicles using diesel and petrol
by 2007 . Chhattisgarh Bio-fuel Development Authority now oversees the
production of the Jatropha curcas seed as a rich source of bio-diesel.[12]
chhatisgarh government tie up with public sector company Indian oil to
produce biodiesel and maintain jatropha plantation in chhatisgarh name of
this company Indian oil CREDA Biofules Ltd. this company is established on
2009 at sankar nagar raipur this company covered all district of chhatisgarh
to plantation of jatropha curcas.

Karnataka[edit]
Farmers in semi-arid regions of Karnataka are planting Jatropha as it is well
suited to those conditions.[13]
Labland Biodiesel is a Mysore based Private Limited Company. Since the year
2002, the Company is active in Biodiesel and Jatropha curcas-based Research
and Development activities headed by its chairman and managing director,
Dr. Sudheer Shetty. [14]

Tamil Nadu[edit]

Tamil Nadu is aggressively promoting the plantation of Jatropha to help

farmers over come the loss due to irregular rains during the past few years.
The government has contracted the development of Jatropha in Tamil Nadu in
a large scale to four entrepreneurs. Namely M/s Mohan Breweries and
Distilleries Limited. M/s Shiva Distilleries Limited, M/s Dharani Sugars and
Chemicals Limited and M/s Riverway Agro Products Private Ltd. Currently the
firms have cultivated the plant in about 3 square kilometres as against the
goal of 50 km. The government of Tamil Nadu has also abolished purchase
tax on Jatropha.[citation needed], but presently government has announced
to reduce the 7.5% tolgate charges to 2.5%

Rajasthan[edit]
Jatropha is ideally suited for cultivation in Rajasthan as it needs very little
water which is scarce in Rajasthan. Jatropa plantations have been undertaken
in Udaipur, Kota, Sikar, Banswara, Chittor and Churu districts. In the Udaipur
district, Jatropha curcas is planted in agroforestry formats with food or cash
crops on marginal lands (in India often called waste lands). As its leaves are
toxic and therefore non-palatable to livestock, they remain intact in their
sapling stage, unlike most other tree saplings.[citation needed] These
Jatropha Seeds are very much favourable for the Germination. Udaipur is the
major supplier of the Jatropha Seeds especially for the Germination. Many
companies and Govt are taking interest to collect best seeds from Udaipur.
Bulk Agro (I) Pvt Ltd is the elite of the suppliers.

Maharashtra[edit]
In September 2007, the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)
joined hands with the Maharashtra State Farming Corporation Ltd (MSFCL) for
a jatropha seed-based bio-diesel venture. As part of the project, jatropha
plants would be grown on 500 acres (2 km) in Nashik and Aurangabad.[15]
In November 2005, the Maharashtra Government aimed to cultivate jatropha
on 600 km in the state, with half the land going to the public sector and the
other half to the private sector.[16] On 1 July 2006, Pune Municipal
Corporation took the lead among Indian cities in using bio-diesel from
jatropha in over 100 public buses.[17]

Ahmednagar[edit]
Gulabrao Kale studied the prospects of plantation in the Ahmednagar district
in Maharashtra and under his guidance, Govind Gramin Vikas Pratishthan

(GOGVIP), decided to plan under DPAP program of government. Initially, it

was a very difficult task to make farmers ready for the Jatropha plantation.
When 2025 farmers were offered the plan, only 23 farmers were convinced
to plant jatropha. Lack of literacy was a big hindrance in convincing the
farmers. It was hard to convince them about the future benefits of the plant
and its potential to produce bio-diesel, an equivalent of diesel. But after
untiring and continuous efforts more than 1000 farmers are working with the
GOGVIP for the Jatropha planting program now. For this task, under the
watershed development program, GOGVIP took an area of 10.92 square
kilometres for making CCT'S. To date, more than 2 million Jatropha plants
have been planted in the target area of the five villages of Vankute, Dhoki,
Dhotre, Dhavalpuri and Gajdipoor in the project. The villages are in the
remote locations and that made connecting them with GOGVIP a difficult
task.[18][19]

Eastern India[edit]
D1 Williamson Magor Bio Fuel Limited was a joint venture company between
D1 Oils plc, UK and Williamson Magor group. This biodiesel initiative was
incorporated in July 2006. Advocating the creation of energy from renewable
resources, the company had promoted Jatropha Plantations on the wasteland
possessed by the farmers in the North Eastern States, Orissa and Jharkhand.
The Company had a comprehensive network to manufacture bio-diesel from
the oilseeds harvested by the farmers.

Biodiesel initiative hoped to benefit local communities through commercial

plantation of Jatropha. NGOs and self-help groups were also involved.

Practices[edit]
The Project on Development of Agronomic practices for Jatropha curcas is
being implemented, with the financial assistance of DBT, New Delhi. Dr.
Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, India has Planted Jatropha on 3
square kilometres, with the financial assistance of National Oilseeds and
Vegetable oils development Board.

See also[edit]