Cost-Effective Production and Supply of Bio-diesel in NCR

Neha setia
MS in Geoinformatics
Symbiosis Institute of Geoinformatics, Pune
neha.setia@gmail.com

1. ABSTRACT:
Biodiesel is an upcoming renewable source of energy, which would not only help in controlling the demand and supply of fuel but, in the reduction of pollution. It is simple to use, easy to transport, biodegradable, non-toxic and essentially free from sulphur and aromatics fuel and has about 10% oxygen, which helps it to burn fully. In India, it is prepared from domestic renewable resources i.e., non-edible vegetable oils. India has about 80 million hectares of land that is suitable for the production of non-edible oil-bearing plants. This paper deals with the use of GIS and Remote Sensing for the cost effective production and supply of biodiesel in National Capital Region (NCR). With the help of GIS tools, we can examine the spatial distribution of input resources, in combination with proximity to infrastructure, considered favorable for the production of biodiesel in NCR. With the use of Remote Sensing, we would be able to select the suitable land area, near NCR for the cultivation of biodiesel-yielding plants and then with GIS we can setup the biodiesel manufacturing plants also, near to those areas, which would not only help in reducing transportation costs but would also provide employment to many people. Using fuel consumption statistics, we estimate the maximum fuel consuming parts of NCR and find the suitable locations for biodiesel supply stations nearest to them in GIS environment. With the combined efforts of oil industry, we can achieve the objective for value-added production and supply of biodiesel in NCR.

2. INTRODUCTION:
Economic development of many developing countries has lead to huge increase in the energy demand. As most of the countries now enjoying rapid development are also large petroleum importers, their dependence on external energy sources from highly unstable regions would increase to uncomfortable levels. Energy security has thus become a key issue for many countries. With the constant increase in population and in the requirements, the situation in the future is going to get even worse.

Bio-diesel is an eco-friendly, clean burning, alternative diesel fuel prepared from domestic renewable resources i.e., vegetable oils (edible and non-edible) and animal fats. Many countries in the world are using bio-diesel blended with petroleum diesel fuel in different compositions. In US, bio-diesels are mainly derived from soybean oil and in Europe from the Sunflower oil. However, as India is deficient in edible oils, non-edible oils material of choice for producing bio-diesel.

Bio-diesel is simple to use, easy to transport, biodegradable, non-toxic and essentially free from sulfur and aromatics and has about 10% built-in oxygen, which helps it to burn fully. The absence of sulfur means a reduction in the formation of acid rain by sulfate emissions that generate sulfuric acid in our atmosphere. The reduced sulfur in the blend will also decrease the levels of corrosive sulfuric acid accumulating in the engine crankcase oil over time. Lower hydrocarbon emissions, smoke and soot reduction; lower a carbon monoxide emission favors the use of bio-diesel.

India has tropical advantage with waste land about 80 million hectares, where the oil bearing plants like Jatropha curcas (Ratanjyot), Pongamia pinnata (Karanjia), Calopyllum inophyllum (Nagchampa), Hevca brasiliensis (Rubber) etc., can be grown. These non-edible oils could be the desirable source for India for production of bio-diesel.

Jatropha curcas has been identified for India as the most suitable Tree Borne Oilseed (TBO) for production of bio-diesel both in view of the non-edible oil available from it and its presence throughout the country. The capacity of Jatropha curcas to rehabilitate degraded or dry lands, from which the poor mostly derive their sustenance, by improving land's water retention capacity, make it additionally suitable for up-gradation of land resources.

Jatropha curcas can be grown in arid zones (20 cm rainfall) as well as in higher rainfall zones and even on the land with thin soil cover. Its plantation can be taken up as a quick yielding plant even in adverse land situations viz. degraded and barren lands under forest and non-forest use, dry and drought prone areas, marginal lands, even on alkaline soils and as agro-forestry crops. It grows as a tree up to the height of 3 - 5 meters and is a good plantation for Eco-restoration in all types of wasteland.

As bio-diesel is produced in being produced from vegetation product, feasibility in terms of planting trees, capable of producing raw material at commercial scale, largely depends on the availability of land (mostly wasteland) demand and requirement, environmental fragility and priority and socio-economic conditions of the region. Therefore, taking into consideration all these factors, prevailing in Indian conditions could be studied using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques. Use to its synoptic view, capability of Remote Sensing, tends to be the best technique available for land observation and due to its spatial data mining capability, GIS turns to be the best technique available for prioritizing areas for plantation of bio-diesel tree.

The aim of this study is to identify the areas, which are suitable for cultivation of Jatropha in NCR. As NCR is one of the major industrial areas of our country, this study would thus help in marking those areas and the estimation of bio-diesel supply stations in NCR using Remote Sensing and GIS. This would not only help in using as well as promoting natural resources but also in reduction of increasing pollution in this area.

3. MARKING THE STUDY AREA:
The area of study in this project is the NCR area i.e., the National Capital Region. NCR is the region around Delhi. The NCR boundary mentioned in this study includes the following cities: Faridabad, Gurgaon, Rewari, Rohtak, Panipat, Sonepat, Jhajjar from Haryana, Bhagpat, Merrut, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar, Gautam Buddha Nagar from Uttar Pradesh and Alwar from Rajasthan.

Fig1: Map showing study area in INDIA

4. METHODOLOGY:

4.1 Hardware & Software used:
Hardware: PC, Printer
Software: Ms Word, Arc View

Fig2: Figure showing methodology

The LISS III/ LISS IV data for wasteland has been obtained from Govt. of India website http://dolr.nic.in/statewise1.htm. They have delineated the area of wasteland for whole of the country.

4.2 Wasteland areas in NCR:

Table1: Cities in NCR along with their Total wasteland area
(Source: http://dolr.nic.in/statewise1.htm)

4.3 Marking area suitable for growing Jatropha curcas

4.3.1 Soil Type:
Jatropha curcas grows almost anywhere – even on gravelly, sandy and saline soils. It can thrive on the poorest stony soil. It can grow even in the crevices of rocks. The leaves shed during the winter months form mulch around the base of the plant. The organic matter from shed leaves enhances earth-worm activity in the soil around the root-zone of the plants, which improves the fertility of the soil.

4.3.2 Climatic Conditions: Its water requirement is extremely low and it can stand long periods of drought by shedding most of its leaves to reduce transpiration loss.

4.3.3 Habitat Parameters:
Jatropha curcas is found in the tropics and subtropics and likes heat, although it does well even in lower temperatures and can withstand a light frost.

4.3.4 Socio- economic conditions:
Rural poverty ratio, below poverty line (BPL) census is considered under socio-economic conditions under proposing areas for Jatropha cultivation.

4.4 Marking the cities with Jatropha Carcus cultivation:
Following are the cities and there land area in NCR, which have suitable land for the Jatropha carcus cultivation

Table2: Cities and there land area suitable for Jatropha cultivation
(Source: http://svlele.com/jatropha_plant.htm)

Fig2: Map showing cities suitable for Jatropha cultivation

4.5 Oil production estimation in these areas:

The Jatropha curcas yields1750kg of oil per hectare
The oil obtained from the plant at above cities is given in the following map:

Fig3: Map showing biodiesel production from various cities

4.6 Major Diesel consumption areas in NCR:
New Delhi, Noida, Faridabad, Gurgaon and Ghaziabad are the major industrial areas of NCR.

Whereas, Alwar, Rewari, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Bulandshahar, Panipat, Sonepat and Bulandshahr, are mainly the rural areas, where the farmers for agricultural production can use biodiesel.

4.6.1 Fuel transportation:
Looking over to the road map of NCR, we can select the transportation route to the places of bio-diesel production as well as consumption.

Fig4: Road network of Delhi( Source: www.mapsofindia.com)

The major bio-diesel producing areas are well connected through national highways. Following table shows the national highways on which they lie.

Table3: Biodiesel producing cities with their respective connecting highways

5. RESULT:
The data regarding the wasteland in the study area was obtained from Govt. of India website http://dolr.nic.in/statewise1.htm. Now the districts suitable for cultivation of Jatropha were obtained from http://svlele.com/jatropha_plant.htm. Using this as well as the above data, Fig2 was obtained, which shows the area in NCR suitable for Jatropha cultivatio. Calculating the bio-diesel produced in kg, per hectare of land, Fig3 was obtained. For supply of bio-diesel, Table3 as well as Fig4 can be used.

6. CONCLUSION:

6.1 Benefits of bio-diesel:

Bio-diesel as alternate fuel has great potential to supplement the growing demand of auto fuels
Basically these are alkyl esters prepared by treating the vegetable oil with alcohol to produce corresponding esters.
Can be blended with diesel at any level to produce Bio-diesel blend for automotive application
Can be used in diesel engine without any major modifications

It is biodegradable, non-toxic and free of sulfur and aromatic compounds

6.2 Effect on rural economy:
The Jatropha curcas seed price is Rs. 4/kg. The seed yield is 3000kg/hectare. This gives 5-hectare plantation per family, providing Rs 60,000 to family per year. This would solve the problem of employment in downstream processing in the rural areas and would prove very beneficial for rural areas.

As NCR has both urban as well as rural areas, the bio-diesel production will thus lead to growth of economy in both urban as well as rural sector. In urban sector, it will provide an environment friendly fuel, which will save the non-renewable sources of energy and would thus save the urban area from more pollution. In rural sector, it will provide employment to many people and will thus solve the problem of unemployment to a great extent. Also, the well-connected road network in this area would thus help in transportation of fuel as well as raw material in an efficient manner.

Thus we can produce as well as supply bio-diesel in a cost-effective manner in this area.

7. SUGGESTIONS:

As the rural sector involves the major evolvement in the production of bio-diesel, I would suggest the government of India to provide seeds for the cultivation of Jatropha curcas at subsidized rates to the farmers. Also, would suggest some rebate in the cost price of the bio-diesel for the farmers. This would not only be economical for them, but would also promote the use of bio-diesel in rural areas.
As per the consumption statistics, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad are major fuel consumption cities in NCR. If few supply stations are set up in the industrial areas of these cities, the rising pollution in these areas can be controlled to a great extent.

If we concentrate on the bio-diesel usage in the major industrial parts of the country, we can control pollution to a great extent and if we provide discounted rates on bio-diesel to the farmers, we would encourage them to grow bio-diesel yielding plants in their community.

8. REFERENCES: