June 18, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 13, 1429

HYDERABAD, June 17: Government efforts to explore new vistas of alternative energy and overcome energy crisis has been further strengthened with a bio-diesel project launched by the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB).

A pilot project to electrify a village using bio diesel on the basis of self-generation is underway in Goth Umar Din Arain of Ghora Bari taluka, Thatta district.

According to the AEBD website, the Economic Coordination Committee of the Federal Cabinet has approved a policy to introduce the use of bio diesel as an alternative fuel.

According to policy recommendation formulated by the AEBD, the project is envisaged to be gradually developed into a national programme. It has been decided that bio diesel will be gradually blended with petrol to a point that it may achieve a minimum share of five per cent of the total diesel consumption in the country by 2015 and 10 per cent by 2025.

As per policy, oil marketing companies will be required to purchase bio diesel from bio diesel manufacturers and sell bio diesel blended with petroleum diesel at their sale points scattered across the country.

Bio diesel is a clean alternative fuel produced from renewable resources and it can be blended with petroleum diesel or could be used directly.

It can also be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Bio diesel is simple to use, biodegradable, non-toxic and essentially free of sulphur and aromatics.

There are many resources used for bio diesel production in the world and these resources can be classified on the basis of availability and their yield.

In the country oil crops, waste vegetable oils and animal fats are easily available to produce bio diesel. Historically animal fats were used in the country but they have been replaced by vegetable oil due to increase in population and per capita consumption.

The project of producing energy through bio diesel could help in catering the increasing need of electricity as the country is experiencing massive shortage in energy production.

The Alternate Energy Development Board has already launched projects of producing solar and windmill energy in Tharparkar and Thatta districts, respectively.—APP