MRPL to produce Biodiesel

Mangalore, Jun 19: The Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), which was conducting research on production of biodiesel components since last 15 months, has achieved significant results, MRPL Managing Director R Rajamani announced today.

Addressing a press conference at the Plant site near Surathkal, about 25 km from here, Mr Rajamani said that following the rising crude prices and the dire need to reduce more utilisation of fossil fuel, the company had conducted experiments with edible oils, waste cooking oils and fish oil to produce biodiesel.

''The company was actively discussing with the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, a premier research institute of CSIR for manufacturing biodiesel and for further research in the field.'', he added.

Mr Rajamani said once the company launches this product, MRPL would become the first company in the country to sell the biodiesel in the market. The company will also be able to sell the biodiesel within next six months, he added.

He said coastal Karnataka and Kerala have huge coconut groves, and coconut oil can be taken as raw material to produce biodiesel which would have excellent lubricating properties, high centene index and no sulphur.

The MD of the company further said the additive, which could be blended with normal diesel up to five per cent, would greatly reduce vibration, maintenance costs in addition to quick start and smooth drive. The additives were tried on a car of the one of the employees of the company and found to have excellent results, he said.

Mr Rajamani said the company was also working on used cooking oil as raw material for producing biodiesel.

The fish oil was abundantly available in all coastal regions, which is found to be a good source of biodiesel, and tests were found satisfactory and further research was in progress, he said, adding that apart from edible oil sources, non-edible oils like rubber seed oil was also being explored to produce biodiesel.

He said Daxina Kannada and southern parts of Karnataka have large areas of rubber cultivation and rubber seed oil has remained a potential source for biodiesel and laboratories trials for the same were under progress. The company was exploring possibilities of sustainable business cooperation with the rubber growers in and around Karnataka, Mr Rajamani added.

UNI