Proximate Technical and Economic Aspects and Life Cycle Analysis of Biodiesel Production in India: An Overview

One of the key challenges confronting the developing world is how to meet its growing energy demands and sustain economic growth without contributing to climate change and pollution. The Government of India has undertaken several policy measures to augment production and use of biodiesel during the past one decade at the national level. The government expects biodiesel will be eco-friendlier than petro-based diesel by reducing negative effects and can lead to sustainable development. Increased use of biodiesel is a significant part of the global strategy for climate change mitigation and air quality improvement. Since biodiesel is prepared entirely from biomass, it does not contain any sulfur, and having oxygen content in it improves the combustion efficiency of ignition engines and lowers the emissions. The new alternative feedstock and improved process technologies may provide a solution for the existing challenges of biodiesel production with sustainable impact in next decade in Indian perspective. The life cycle studies have also shown positive energy balance and GHG emissions for biodiesel compared to fossil diesel. The development of a domestic biodiesel, marketing, and its use is also expected to improve lives of the common people by generating more rural employment opportunities and reduce the reliance on petroleum fuels for transportation in a developing country like India.