Indonesia is no longer a member of OPEC – Oil Producing Exporting Countries.
To supplement and minimise the import requirements of fuel oil, and to support the move towards renewable energy, the Indonesian Government has mandated a requirement to use Biodiesel instead of pure diesel (solar) in all diesel engines,
What is BioDiesel?
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel with similar properties to conventional or “fossil” petro diesel (solar). Biodiesel is a Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) or Fatty Acid Ethyl Ester, commonly used as a type of biofuel. It is derived from organic fats and oils that have reacted with alcohol (via transesterification) to form a liquid ester. This can be used 100% pure or easily blended in any ratio with petro diesel and used to power diesel engines. FAME is also used in some human foods. The Indonesian Government initially stipulated the requirement to use B-10 Biodiesel – a mixture of 90% diesel (solar) and 10% biodiesel fuel, then it increased the blend to B-20 (20% biodiesel), and most recently, is now promoting B-30 – a 30% biodiesel mixture of biofuel for the year 2020.
Biodiesel can be produced from straight vegetable oil, animal oil/fats, animal tallow and waste cooking oil.
So, what is Biofuel?
Biofuel is a fuel that is produced through contemporary biological processes, such as agriculture and anaerobic digestion, rather than a fuel produced by geological processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum, from ancient biological matter.
How does Biofuel differ from Biomass?
Biomass refers to plants or plant-based materials that are not used for food or feed and are specifically called lignocellulosic biomass. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly via combustion to produce heat, or indirectly after converting it to various forms of biofuel.
The process used to convert these oils to Biodiesel is called transesterification as referred to above. Most of the world’s production of biodiesel has been sourced from edible oil seeds.
CPO – Crude Palm Oil is used extensively. This, of course, is not sustainable and increasingly not economically feasible; therefore, the use of non-food oil for biodiesel feedstock needs to be developed. Jatropha curcas Linn is one possible and very suitable alternative.
What is Jatropha curcas Linn?
Jatropha curcas Linn, or Jarak Pagar as it is called in Indonesia, is a small bush or plant of the Euphorbiaceous family. It is cultivated to grow to a maximum height of 2 meters and has irregular branches.
For more on JATROPHA AS A BIOFUEL, click HERE
