UPSC Articles
Used Cooking Oil (UCO) Based Bio-Diesel
Part of: GS Prelims and GS – III – Sci & tech
In news
- Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas flagged off the first supply of UCO (Used Cooking Oil) based Biodiesel blended Diesel under the EOI Scheme from Indian Oil’s Tikrikalan Terminal, Delhi.
Key takeaways
- To create an eco-system for collection and conversion of UCO into Biodiesel, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas had initiated Expressions of Interest (EOI) for “Procurement of Bio-diesel produced from Used Cooking Oil” on the occasion of World Biofuel Day on 10th August 2019.
- It is a landmark in India’s pursuance of Biofuels which will have a positive impact on the environment.
Important value additions
- Biodiesel is an alternative fuel, similar to conventional or ‘fossil’ diesel.
- It can be produced from vegetable oils, animal fats, tallow and waste cooking oil.
- A significant advantage of Biodiesel is its carbon-neutrality, i.e. the oilseed absorbs the same amount of CO2 as is released when the fuel is combusted in a vehicle.
- Also, Biodiesel is rapidly biodegradable and completely non-toxic.
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