The non-renewability, ecological issues and health hazards associated with the fossil fuels has actually caused exploration of alternative sources of energy to substitute the conventional ones. A promising innovation, still in its infancy, that could show us the method to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels derived from veggie oil or animal-fat that could be utilized 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 might be utilized in its pure kind.

Developed countries especially United States and European Countries have already made considerable advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually found its use across industries and verticals and might become a perfect cleaner and more to gas, diesel and nonrenewable fuel sources. India has also begun checking out the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A variety of plants for biodiesel transesterification are currently functioning in the country where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol normally) to produce bio-diesel.

The main reason for the increasing need for biodiesels is the truth that biodiesels are eco-friendly and carbon-neutral, hence having no net influence on the environment. Besides, bio-diesel operates in compression engines similar to normal petroleum diesel and hence can be utilized with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not need any separate facilities for its storage and can be saved similar to the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy demand in the nation, rising petroleum costs and the environmental dangers of fossil fuels, the Indian Government has actually taken up initiatives to develop the Bio Diesel Technology in India and established 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 products for oil processing and biodiesel production however in India the optimal capacity to produce biodiesels is from jatropha curcas oil - a non-edible one produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas. The biggest benefit of using Jatropha as a raw product is that this plant can be grown in huge quantities in wastelands all throughout India needing extremely little water in comparison to other money crops. Once grown, the plant has a useful life-span of numerous years. The jatropha curcas seeds include 40% oil and are considered to be an excellent source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has determined 400,000 square kilometres of land appropriate for the jatropha curcas cultivation in the country. India now

A study approximates that even if a blending effort of 2% Jatropha based Biodiesel is attained in 2011-12, India will conserve around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will create 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 actions to motivate the growing of Jatropha in India offering totally free seeds, subsidized loans and other facilities. India needs to now enhance its efforts to make the maximum usage of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides jatropha curcas, the avenues for extracting biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil must also be checked out. It will not only offer an answer to the challenge of Global Warming however could reduce our dependence on foreign oil and add to our own economy.