Llibro_ISF_biodiesel

competitive prices. Especially if it is taken up as a project with active participation from all stakeholders
with a pre-defined role to play.
There are several vegetable oils that can be used for the manufacture of biodiesel although preferably
it should be a triglyceride of long chain fatty acids of C16 to C22 fatty acids. To name a few crops that can
be used for the manufacture of Biodiesel:
a. Jatropha (Known as Ratanjot in India)
b. Pongamia Pinnata (Karanj)
c. Neem Seed Oil (High Cost)
d. Soya bean Oil
e. Rapeseed Oil
f. Sunflower Oil
g. Cotton seed Oil
h. Palm Oil
i. Waste fatty acid mixture
j. Castor Oil (High Coast and needs further treatment)
Considering our background of manufacture of various oleo chemicals, we have also used economically
available fatty acids and fractions from our plant. Only hurdle being that, they need more rigorous
pre-treatment and much involved technology, resulting in higher initial cost of plant and machinery. Other
major raw material is the once-used vegetable oil with manageable FFA values that can be achieved with
slight caution during initial handling and storage.
THE INDIAN EXPERIENCE
05 | Sandeep Chaturvedi | Biodiesel. The Indian Experience | 47
Our manufacturing experience has been carried out with almost all the items above mentioned, but the
current discussion will be limited only to the raw materials that are mostly tree borne oil seeds that we
intent to propagate in India.
Our role has been mostly on the manufacturing of Biodiesel, hence the data that is reproduced on the
agronomical aspects here is only based on feedback from the agencies involved in cultivations activities
and some limited filed experience on the crop patterns/plantations we have verified.
We started manufacturing long chain fatty acid esters from 1998-99 to be used as an alternate of diesel
fuel in our furnace. This production was very limited in quantity and a through specification analysis was
conducted only in the year 2003 for compliance with ASTM standards.
My knowledge about Biodiesel production is mostly acquired during the early days since I was involved in
the setting up of the castor oil derivative plant at Gujarat Oleo Chem. The major insight into the behaviour
of long chain fatty acid esters (Biodiesel) came during the initial operating days of our Cracking plant for
castor methyl esters. The esters of long chain fatty acids are the starting raw material for the cracker. This
was a technology which was supplied by an Indian process licensers, the process was yielding about
87-89% yields with very poor quality of esters largely containing soap and free fatty acids. Our requirement
was to overcome this drawback of the process.