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Context

To create awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels and highlight the various efforts made by Government in the biofuel sector.

Significance

This year the theme of World Biofuel Day is “Production of Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil (UCO)”.

Biofuels have the benefits of reduction of import dependence, cleaner environment, additional income to farmers and employment generation.

The biofuel programme also compliments the Government of India’s initiatives for Make in India, Swachh Bharat and increasing farmers' income. A number of initiatives have been undertaken to increase the production and blending of biofuels since 2014.

In India, the same cooking oil is used for repeated frying which adversely affects the health due to the formation of polar compounds during frying. These polar compounds are associated with diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and liver diseases among others.

UCO is either not discarded at all or disposed off in an environmentally hazardous manner choking drains and sewerage systems.

The National Policy on Biofuels, released by the Government of India in 2018, envisages the production of biofuel from UCO.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is implementing a strategy to divert UCO from the food value chain and curb current illegal usage.

The benefits of transformation of UCO will help bring health benefits as there would be no recycling of the UCO, employment generation, infrastructural investment in rural areas & cleaner environment with a reduced carbon footprint.

To facilitate the production of Biodiesel from UCO, the Oil Marketing Companies shall float an Expression of Interest (EOI) for procurement of Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil across 100 cities.

The purpose of inviting this EOI is to encourage the applicants to set up Biodiesel producing plants from Used Cooking Oil (UCO), and processing plants and further utilise the existing potential of UCO-based Bio-diesel in India.

Source: The Hindu

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