NUST inroduces cheap Biodiesel alternate energy

Students of National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) have produced low-priced bio-fuel, made from Jatropha plant. NUST is one of the top 350 universities of the world and is among Pakistan’s leading universities. The price to make one liter of biodiesel is just Rs 25 which is extremely cheaper than the current crude rates. Last year, cabinet committee drafted regulations to encourage bio-diesel production and cut the energy bills. Our oil imports are expected to reach 6.5 billion dollars by the end of this year.

NUST NUST inroduces cheap Biodiesel alternate energyHowever, if Pakistan assures that 10% of total furnace oil and diesel consumed is mixed with biomass energy crops, then we could cut import expenditure by as much as $ 1 billion. Ex-Federal Minister for Science &; Technology Senator Mohammad Azam Khan Swati had said, “This provision is going to limit the greenhouse gas emission from vehicles. It will also assure more reliable and secure sources of energy, as the level of fuel produced from crops are expected to double by 2015”.
The idea of “Fast track bio-diesel production process” was presented by School of Chemical and Materials Engineering- A school of NUST. Seeds are obtained from Jatropha plants which are processed further to get bio-diesel.

* Jatropha Carcus is an oil bearing tree, which can be cultivated easily in semi- arid regions of marginal soils. Sind, Baluchistan, many areas of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwah and Punjab are ideal places for its cultivation. It can also be cultivated as a hedge around fields or on already used lands.
* If Jatropha is planted in hedges it can produce 0.8 kg to 1.0 kg seeds per meter of live fence.
* Jatropha takes 4 to 5 years to mature fully. If rain fed, these plants can produce 0.35 to 0.375 gallon of oil per tree or 375 gallons per hectare or 150 gallons per acre. Whereas if irrigated with 3 to 5 liters per plant every 15 days, it can double the amount.
* One acre of Jatropha plant is sufficient to make 2000 liters of biodiesel.
* The biodiesel is clean burning and the process inherently removes a lot of impurities.

Currently, Philippines and Brazilians are using oil made from Jatropha seeds, where it grows naturally. NUST has also maintained a model farm consists of 15acre of Jatropha cultivation. Half a million trees have already been planted. Also some 4-5 million plants will be planted this year. Moreover, most of the generators and vehicles are also running on bio-diesel fuel in NUST with no issues at all.
If government supports this project, and shows honest concern in the field, then Pakistan can cut down heavy expenditures of Oil import. Moreover people of Pakistan will also observe a noticeable decrease in inflation.

Originally it was written by me for ApnaTime.See here