Q. A biodiesel plant with 30 Tonnes per day capacity will generate how many CERs per year?
Ans. : On preliminary basis 30 TPD plant will generate around 24000 CERs per anum. (with 350 days of continuous plant operation) and if replaced with diesel.
Q. A biodiesel plant with 100 Tonnes per day capacity will generate how many CERs per year?
Ans. : On preliminary basis 100 TPD plant will generate around 80000 CERs per anum. (With 350 days of continuous plant operation), if replaced with diesel.
Q A biodiesel plant with 1 Tonnes per day capacity will generate how many CERs per year?
Ans. : As mentioned above, 1TPD plant will generate less than 1000 CERs per anum. (With 350 days of continuous plant operation), if replaced with diesel.
There is a basic question of feed stock i.e. raw material availability for the Biodiesel plant. What is the status of the plantation projects of non-edible oil plants like Jatropha, Pongamia etc.?
This is vital question. The whole Biodiesel Industry is worried about availability of feed stock. The central government & planning commission has emphasized on these points. The efforts in last several years are concentrated on plantation of Biodiesel species like Jatropha, Pangamia, Simarruba, Neem, etc. The media & government agencies have highlighted JATROPHA as Biodiesel plant. NOVOD & other central & state government agencies has promoted for actual cultivation of Jatropha on thousands of hectars of land all over India. Chhatisgarh, Uttaranchal, Gujrat, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh & other states with Railways have implemented many projects of cultivation of Jatropha.
But what are the practical results? It is noticed that Jatropha is not a plant like “PLANT IT & FORGET IT” as it was described by media. Unfortunately, the results & yield of Jatropha is not satisfactory as it was estimated. There are many reasons for it. Lot of research & other work is going on to study to solve this problem. It is difficult to predict about future of Jatropha. The experiments about other non-edible oil species like Pongamia, Mahua, Neem, Seemaruba etc. are also going on. But it will take years together to reach on certain conclusion as the gestation period for these plants is very high. It is general opinion that one can not depend solely on the results of plantation projects of non-edible oils species in India as a source of feed stock. It is necessary to find another source of different oils as feed stock for a Biodiesel plants.
Jatropha is undoubtedly a matter of debate. Unfortunately Jatropha is linked with Biodiesel in such way that people think “without Jatropha ” there will be no future for Biodiesel industry.
It is very much necessary to delink Jatropha from Biodiesel industry. Only then Biodiesel industry will grow & flourish in India Nodoubt jatropha is one of the option in future when substantial availability of seed is there.
If Jatropha is not answer for feed stock then, how Biodiesel industry will grow?
One must understand a practical point very clearly here that the “End User or Customer” of Biodiesel is not asking for Biodiesel only from Jatropha or Jatropha-Biodiesel. He is rather interested in Biodiesel which will have ASTM specifications, good quality, less price and all other benefit of Biodiesel. He is not insisting specifically on JATROPHA BIODIESEL.
Looking to this common sense phenomena, One must think about other sources of oils as feed stock for manufacturing of Biodiesel. For this, we must have a technology which can convert any type of oil into Biodiesel. Any available oil in large quantity with any FFA and different chemical properties should get converted into Biodiesel. In this era of globalization, numbers of oils are available in very large quantity all over the world. E.g. Palm oil, Rice bran oil, Rapeseed oil, Soyabin oil, Fish oil, etc. Even Castor oil can be converted into Biodiesel. Lot of eminent scientists is talking about castor as “90 day’s Biodiesel crops.” Any oil which can be imported in India below certain “Level Price” can only make Biodiesel industry to grow. Lots of such propositions are available. Biodiesel industry in India today is looking for right technology for converting any oil into Biodiesel. So the availability of feed stock is not at all a problem. Rather availability of right technology to convert each & every type of oil into Biodiesel is a real question. Biodiesel industry is going through innovation and transformation stage. Nobody is defining the real problem & roadmap for this industry to move forward. Everybody is talking in a different way & different style. There is no ideal model for application of right type of technology.
As there is great confusion, vague ideas and false statements are misrepresenting the future of Biodiesel industry in India. Lot of activities are burning this industry by selling plant material to farmers at very high prices or offering Biodiesel Pumps for deposits & charges in lakhs. This is going to harm & erode the future of Biodiesel industry.
Do you think that by importing the raw material, one can run the Biodiesel plant steadily and economically throughout the year?
DEFINITELY YES; With proper technology where you can convert any oil into Biodiesel. One can buy any oil below the “Level Price” from all over the world. He can even stock the raw material for future depending upon the fluctuations of the prices in the market. Lots of Suppliers of various oils all over the world are available.
Today we must say “FORGET JATROPHA AND START BIODIESEL INDUSTRY”. Whenever, Jatroha and other non-edible oil seeds and oil will be available, that can also be converted into Biodiesel. At that point, one will not be required to rely on the import and entrepreneur will be self dependent for the raw material. But presently Biodiesel Industry should not rely only on Jatropha or wait for Jatropha.
Do you want to say that feedstock availability is not a real problem, but the right technology can solve the problem?
Yes. By review of the facts and figures about Biodiesel movement in last 12 years which include plantation projects, small batch type biodiesel plants, confusion about the technology and application of right vision, it is the conclusion that only right technology will lead Biodiesel industry in India. So do not worry about feed stock, dare to dream Biodiesel gold mine by applying proper technology.
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