Date:15/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/15/stories/2007031520110300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Bio-diesel unit inaugurated

Staff Reporter

It has been set up at a cost of Rs. 11 lakh

A STEP FORWARD: M.R. Sreenivasa Murthy, Principal Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, at the inauguration of the Bio-diesel Expeller Unit in Bangalore on Wednesday. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Bangalore: Some experts say that the oil reserves will get depleted within the next 50 years if they are used indiscriminately. Researchers are conducting experiments to develop biofuel that is environment-friendly.

The Mahatma Gandhi Regional Institute of Rural Energy and Development has developed a unit, which extracts oil from Honge seeds that is later converted to bio-diesel.

The institute has with help from Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) set up a bio-fuel "extraction and transesterification" unit at a cost of Rs. 11 lakh.

The Bio-diesel Expeller Unit was inaugurated at the institute by M.R. Sreenivasa Murthy, Principal Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, here on Wednesday.

Mr. Murthy said that such units could be set up at the village level, which would help self-help group members to generate additional income.

He said people in rural areas could take up cultivation of Honge trees on a large-scale. "Last year, KSRTC had earmarked Rs. 1 crore for the cultivation for Honge trees," he said.

Mr. Murthy said that in Chitradurga, the Navachetana Trust had come forward to grow one crore trees, primarily Honge.

The cost of the project, which will be taken up under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, is estimated at Rs. 17 crore.

"We need to tap natural resources and reduce our dependence on electricity. In Kabbigere, the department has helped villagers set up a 500 KW gassifier. The electricity generated by the gassifier is distributed to 1,000 houses," he said.

A.P. Joshi, KSRTC Managing Director, said that 72 buses at the Doddaballapur bus depot were running on bio-diesel.

"We took it up on trial basis for 10 buses. All minute aspects were examined. Technical reports have shown that it is 30 per cent to 40 per cent more efficient than regular diesel," he said.

KSRTC would take up the project in phases for 200 buses, he added.

Mr. Joshi said that 110 buses at the Kempe Gowda Bus Station were running on diesel mixed with ethanol.

Trials had shown that diesel mixed with ethanol had no negative impact and was environment-friendly, he said.

N. Sivasailam, Managing Director, Karnataka Beverages Corporation Ltd., and G.V. Kongawad, Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, spoke. A seminar on "Biofuels — rural enterprise for women" was organised.

Representatives of self-help groups participated in the seminar.