Jatropha Power

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: Recently, two projects claiming to be the answer to India’s energy problems have caught popular attention.

DaimlerChrysler (DC), in partnership with the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research and Hohenheim University in Germany, announced that it was ready for a trial run using biodiesel produced from the local jatropha tree on its Merc C-class.

The ministry of non-conventional energy resources, for its part, is also sponsoring the trial run of an omnibus using rice bran oil. The latter has been developed by the Chennai-based Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI).

Although biofuel, particularly ethanol, is already in use in the country following the policy directive making it mandatory for nine states and four Union territories to dope petrol/diesel with five per cent ethanol, the new projects are offering a 100 per cent replacement of petro-diesel.

Both fuels are claimed to be completely environment-friendly with little or no carbon and particulate emissions.

The spin-offs include putting into use arid and rocky wasteland for cultivating the hardy jatropha and recycling rice bran, which is available in plenty all over the country.

That biofuels have been used successfully, albeit as blends with conventional fuels, in several countries is a fact.

Biofuels from oilseeds, waste products and even plastic have also been used on a small scale by several niche industries. European countries too have been producing and using biodiesel on an industrial scale since 1992.

However, even though the developers of the rice bran fuel are upbeat about their product, claiming that it is the perfect substitute for diesel, it is unlikely that either project would be ready for commercial use anytime in the near future.

DC has announced that its jatropha fuel would take five years to develop as there are a few issues that need to be resolved.

First, the cost of production of biofuels is far higher than conventional petroleum products, although with large scale production and use this may come down.

Second, some modifications in engine design may be required for use of biofuel, although CLRI claims their fuel can be used in existing engines as it is neither toxic nor corrosive, thereby not requiring any modifications on auto engines.

Lastly, the high cold filter plugging points may result in solidification and clogging of the systems at low temperatures.