What is Bio-Diesel
Bio-Diesel is the name for a variety of ester based oxygenated fuels made from certain edible and non-edible oils like Soya, Sunflower, Palm, Jatropha, Pongamia (Karanj), Mahua etc. Pure Bio-Diesel is Biodegradable, Non-Toxic and essentially free from sulfur and aromatics. It is a renewable resource based on oil crop that are grown anew each year. It can be produced domestically, reducing our country's dependence on imported oil, thus huge savings on imports. Requires no engine modifications or changes in fuel handling and delivery systems. Bio-Diesel also provides significant lubricity improvement over petroleum diesel fuel.

Most of the vegetable oils and animals fats contain triglycerides, which on simple processing give fatty acid esters, called "Bio-Diesel". The chemical reaction involving a lower alcohol (Ethanol or Methanol), producing Glycerine as a coproduct, is called trans-esterification.

Jatropha Curcas (Vana Erand or Ratan Jyot) has been found to be most suitable for this purpose because of its advantages over any other species. It can be grown as a quick yielding plant even on degraded and barren lands under forest and nonforest use, dry and drought prone areas. Oil yield per hectare is approx. 1.6 metric tons on average soil (based on 5 mt seed yield per hac) which is among the highest for tree born oil seeds. The seed yield from Jatropha Curcas (approx. 0.625 tons per hectare) is expected in the first year itself which is fastest for any species.

Buyers of jatropha seeds
There has been a lot of propogation of Jatropha cultivation in India, a lot of companies and government organizations are taking "largescale" plantations. However, the farmers are still doubtful as who will purchase the Jatropha seeds after 1 year. There has been a Chicken & Egg situation, a lot of hipe has been made, however at present the there is enough demand of jatropha seed for cultivation but potential buyers of jatropha seeds will be biodiesel plants.

50 tonnes per day biodiesel plant of TOCL installed in Latur (Maharashtra)

Commercial Bio-diesel plants in India

Tinna Oils & Chemicals Ltd. (TOCL), which has M/s. Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) of USA as a majority equity partner, are setting up a 50 tonnes per day Biodiesel plant in Latur in Maharashtra. This plant will run on the patented CD-Process developed by ADM and produce high quality Bio-Diesel of European Norms (EN 14214). The plant will be commissioned by May, 2006.

Installation of Tinna's Bio-diesel plant will give confidence to all the farmers and plantors of Jatropha as they will have a ready buyer of Jatropha seeds.

Tinna is working with farmer groups to promote cultivation of Jatropha. Tinna is also in the process to put large plantations of Jatropha in Maharashtra and other states of the country.

Nursery raising of Jatropha is being undertaken to develop high oil yielding varieties of Jatropha, these saplings are being distributed to the farmers for plantation.

Tinna is the best positioned player which has complete expertise for making Bio-Diesel business a success.