MoU signed for research and development of Bio-diesel

Mysore, Jan 24 (UNI) The Centre for Research and Consultancy (CRC) of the National Institute of Engineering (NIE) and Lab Land Biotech Private Limited today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to carry out research and development programmes on Jatropha based bio diesel.

CRC Director Dr B V Somashekhar and Lab Land Executive Director Dr Geetaa Singh signed the MoU with US based Dreamfuels Limited promoter and NIE President Sampath Iyengar present.

Talking to newsmen NIE Bio Diesel Collaberative Project Coordinator S Shamasundar said that under MoU projects would be taken up jointly and carry out Research and development activities in the area of Jatropha based bio diesel. It was also decided to establish a Jatropha Based Bio Energy Park in the Institute foundation plot and also to set up an educational and training centre for conducting training programmes in the field of Bio Diesel.

Lab Land Bio Tech Chairman Sudheer Shetty said that India intends to cultivate Jatropha in about 75 million acres of uncultivable waste land without encroaching agriculture land. The Planning Commission has taken a policy decision to blend the petroleum based diesel with five per cent bio diesel and to gradually increase to 20 per cent by the year 2012. Hence there was a huge domestic demand of 2.5 to 3 million tonnes of bio diesel at present, which was projected to rise to 10 million tonnes. Railways and State Transport Companies are the major potential customers. Two to three million acres of Jatropha plantation was to be raised immediately to meet the present target of 5 per cent blending in the state of Karnataka 0.25 million acres were identified for Jatropha cultivation. Commercial cultivation of Jatropha should be done under irrigation to make plantation viable and profitable, he added.

UNI