Advantage India

Indian climatic conditions offer an ideal environment for biomass production. Bio-energy has remained critical to India’s energy mix. The current potential of surplus agro and forest residues to energy is estimated at 16,000 MW along with an additional “waste-to-energy” potential of 2,700 MW. With the setting up of new sugar mills and the modernization of existing ones, the potential of bagasse cogeneration is estimated at 5,000 MW. The cumulative installed capacity, of grid-interactive biomass and bagasse cogeneration power was 1,141 MW only, as on 31 March 2007

Close on the heels of the Kyoto protocol recommending a phased changeover to bio-diesel through blending, the Government of India has taken a number of initiatives to promote bio-fuels.

The Agriculture Ministry has drawn up large scale plans to plant Jatropha across the country. India currently has nearly 250,000 acres under Jatropha cultivation.

Indian Oil Corporation, the country’s leading oil PSU has drawn elaborate plans to venture into the bio-diesel segment.

Bharat Petroleum alone has undertaken Jatropha plantation in 1,000 acres of land.

Hindustan Petroleum plans to plant 10 lakh Jatropha saplings, install transesterification units and tissue culture-related research and development.

The Planning Commission of India has initiated the draft policy for bio-fuels envisaging 5% blending by 2012 and 10% by 2017.

Major institutions like the Indian Institute of Planning, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Indian Institute of Science, and the Indian Institute of Technology are working diligently on the research and development aspects of bio-diesel

The Indian Railways has had a successful trial run of the Shatabdi Express running with a 20% mix of Jatropha bio-diesel with diesel.