Blended bio-fuel

Why is it in news?
  • For the first time, an An-32 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) flew with blended bio-jet fuel produced from Jatropha oil.
  • It thus created the possibility of gradually expanding it to the entire service at some point.
  • This has the dual benefit of reducing the carbon footprint as well as usage of fossil fuels.
More in news
  • India had thus joined a league of select nations to have “developed, tested and certified” a single step Hydro-processed Renewable Jet (HRJ) process to convert non-edible oil into biofuel for use on military aircraft.
  • IAF intended to fly the An-32 with 10% bio-jet fuel at the Republic Day flypast on January 26 next year.
  • This bio-jet fuel technology was developed by the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2009 and tested between 2011 and 2013.
About biofuel
What is Biofuel?
  • Biofuel encompasses a range of fuels that can be produced from any renewable biological resources, such as plant material.
  • It is most commonly used for transport, home heating, power generation from stationary engines, and for cooking.
Benefits of biofuel:
  1. The Environmental Benefits of Biofuel:
  • Biofuel absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere when its plant matter base (biomass) is grown. 
  • The carbon dioxide is then released back into the atmosphere when the fuel is burnt.
  • The combustion of petrol and diesel produces many different types of local air pollutants.
  • It is anticipated that Bio-based fuels can provide an estimated 80% reduction in overall CO2 life cycle emissions compared to fossil fuels.
  1. Market benefits:
  • Producing biofuels lessens the dependence on traditional fossil fuels and improves diversity of fuel supply.
  • Sustainable biofuels is an attractive alternative to fossil fuels because their production is not limited to locations where fossil fuels can be drilled, enabling a more diverse geographic supply.
  1. Additional Benefits:
  • Biofuels are green fuels in that they do not contribute to the carbon dioxide (CO2) burden.
  • Biofuel is non-toxic and biodegradable.
  • Unlike petroleum diesel, renewable diesel is derived from a sustainable resource that will not run out.
  • Biofuels burn more efficiently than petroleum diesel and are typically less flammable.
Source
The Hindu



Posted by Jawwad Kazi on 18th Dec 2018
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