Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made through a chemical process called transesterification, where vegetable oils or animal fats react with alcohol in the presence of a catalyst to produce fatty acid alkyl esters. It can be used in diesel engines as a substitute for or additive to petroleum diesel. Biodiesel production has environmental benefits like reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting rural development through job creation. However, there are also constraints like higher fuel consumption and potential impacts on food security if feedstocks compete with crops for land.

2.  It is a renewable and natural domestic fuel extracted
from animal fats or vegetable oils, mostly from
• Soya bean
• Rapeseed
• Jatropha
• Palm oil
 Biodiesel is a general name given for methyl esters
obtained from organic feedstock.

3.  It is biodegradable, renewable and nontoxic in nature.
 Extremely low emission of greenhouse gases as compared
to fossil fuels.
 Increase in trade balance (Indian perspective) due to lesser
dependence on foreign resources.
 Promoting environmental protection & energy security in
the country.

4.  Meeting climate change commitments.
 Growing variety of crops increases bio diversity.
 Promoting renewable energy sources.
 Generating rural employment opportunities.

5.  Biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils or animal fats
and an alcohol, through a transesterification reaction.
 Stages of Transesterification:
 Treatment of raw material
 Alcohol catalyst mixing
 Chemical reaction
 Separation of reaction products
 Purification of reaction products

6.  Transesterification is a chemical reaction where
triglyceride is reacted with alcohol in the presence of
catalyst to produce alkyl esters.
Vegetable Oil Biodiesel
Fatty Acid
Alcohol
Glycerin

8. Biodiesel Production Process

9.  Plants are able to produce seeds between 1 and 5 years
depending on soil fertility and rainfall, and continue to
produce seeds for more than 20 years.
 Seed yield under cultivation can range from 1,500 to
2,000 kg per hectare.
 The seeds contain average 34.4% oil by weight that can
be processed to produce a high quality biodiesel fuel.

10.  The yield of biodiesel per hectare for Jatropha is more
than four times as much fuel per hectare as soybean,
and up to ten times to that of corn.

11.  Blending is the process of
mixing of biodiesel fuel with
petroleum-based diesel fuel ,
designated as BXX.
 where XX is the volume
percent of biodiesel.

12.  Biodiesel can be used as pure form (B100) or mixed
with diesel in all new diesel engines.
 For older engines produced before 1993 some
modification is required as rubber made valves caps
and pipes dissolves in biodiesel.

13.  Hydrogen fuel cell
• Microreactor to produce hydrogen stream for HFC.
 Cleaning up Oil Spills
• Cytosol used to clean and dissolve crude oil spills.
 Generating electricity
• Backup generator using B100.
 Home Heating
• B20 reduces emission of SOx emissions from boilers used to
heat home.

15.  Slightly higher fuel consumption due to the lower
calorific value of biodiesel.
 Slightly higher nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions than
diesel fuel.
 Higher freezing point than diesel fuel. This may be
inconvenient in cold climates.
 It is less stable than diesel fuel, and therefore long-term
storage (more than six months) of biodiesel is not
recommended.

16.  Environmental Constraints
 A considerable debate exists over the magnitude of
direct and indirect GHG emissions from biofuels.
 The intensive cultivation of energy crops is expected to
produce adverse environmental impacts on soil and
groundwater, and to result in deforestation and loss of
biodiversity.

17.  Trade Constraints
 First generation biofuels are rarely economically
competitive with petroleum fuels.
 Rising demand for vegetable oil, under pressure from
the biofuel mandate, has resulted in a rapid increase in
vegetable oil prices with negative impacts on biofuel
costs and food prices.

18.  Food security Constraints
 Biofuel feedstock production competes with food, fibre
and timber for land, water and fertilizers.
 This competition could affect food security.
 Demand for feedstock crops such as maize and
sugarcane has contributed significantly to global food
price volatility, especially in grain markets.

19.  As there appears to be a general agreement that the era
of cheap oil’ has ended, it is essential for India to look
for alternative (renewable fuel) options such as biofuels
(Biodiesel and Bioethanol) to provide energy security
and environment protection.

20. Thank You