India to Power Trains with Biodiesel

(Biofuels International) Indian Central Railway (CR) has completed its first year of biodiesel production at its workshop in the Parel area of Mumbai.

The plant has produced nearly 20,000 litres of biodiesel with an aim to provide cleaner alternatives for CR’s diesel locomotives.

‘We have successfully achieved our target to produce 1,500 litres of bio-diesel per month since August 2014 from edible oils and looking ahead an uptick in this production, though we are facing shortage of raw material like used edible oil which is its primary source,’ says an official from the Parel workshop.

With a concern for cleaner environment, Indian Railways has decided to promote use of alternative fuels like biodiesel for powering the vast fleet of over 4,000 diesel locomotives.

‘Biodiesel has potential to become the fuel of the future and it will not only provide employment opportunities in rural areas but also energy security, cleaner air, and savings in foreign exchange,’ Patil adds. READ MORE and MORE (Business Standard)