By Anurjay Dhal
BHUBANESWAR: World Biofuel Day is observed every year on 10th August to create awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels and highlight the various efforts made by Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas,GoI in the bio-fuel sector. Repetitive frying of cooking oil has adverse health effects. This Used Cooking Oil (UCO) is also a potential feed stock for Bio-diesel production. In continuation of this effort, IndianOil organized “Road Show on UCO based Bio-diesel” at Bhubaneswar.
Rohit Mathur, Joint Secretary MoP&NG had graced the occasion as Chief Guest Subhajit Ghosh CGM, Indian Oil, Odisha State welcomed the guest and dignitaries S. Patke ED (Bio fuel) BPCL, Shantanu Gupta CGM (AE & SD), IOCL.
Repetitive frying has adverse health effects. This Used Cooking Oil is also a potential feed stock for Bio-diesel production. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has banned food-related consumption of UCO having >25% Total Polar Content (TPC). Under National Policy on Biofuels – 2018, UCO has been identified as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production and it lays emphasis on development of its suitable collection mechanism to augment its supply for biodiesel production.
There is potential to recover about 3 MMT of UCO for production of bio-diesel. However, at present, there is no structured UCO collection mechanism for biodiesel production. FSSAI launched RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) – an eco system to enable the collection and conversion of used cooking oil to biodiesel. Under RUCO FSSAI implementing triple ‘EEE’ strategy i.e. “Education” Enforcement” and “Ecosystem” to ensure sustainable availability of UCO as feedstock for Biodiesel production and ensures good health and welfare for all 130-crore citizens, aiding energy security, climate change mitigation.
The Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel launched Expression of Interest (EOIs) on 10th Aug 2019 (The World Biofuel Day) and subsequently EoI were floated by Indian Oil, BPCL & HPCL on their respective websites. Total Eleven EOIs would be floated for 200 cities across the country sequentially starting from 10th August 2019 to 9th November 2020. Out of 200 cities, in State of Odisha 5 cities have been identified i.e. Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Rourkela and Berhumpur for supply of Bio-diesel.
So far 3 EOIs have been floated, against which IOC has received 10 offers from entrepreneurs for producing Biodiesel from UCO with cumulative capacity of 432 Tons per Day. As on date, LOIs to 6 plants has been issued for supplying 292 Tons per Day Biodiesel to IOC. To encourage the prospective entrepreneurs, IOC is organizing 7 Road Shows across India till June’2020.
Around 250 entrepreneurs, delegates, students and transporters have attended the road show. The road show was concluded with vote of thanks by S.K. Ravi Kumar, GM (I/c) (Ops) IOCL, informed Chief Manager(Corporate Communications) Srinivash Patra.
