[shashanka]

Originally Posted by alpha1

1) First of all, there may be a lot of well-funded FUD spread by the oil companies against the bio-fuel technology - because of obvious reasons

2) Second, my question to Indizel would be: which technology are they using to make the biodiesel?
If it is a local jugaad then please beware, on the other hand if it is a licensed technology from a global company of tremendous proven repute in Oil/Petroleum domain (e.g. https://www.uop.com/processing-solut...sel/#ecofining OR https://www.axens.net/product/proces...008/vegan.html) then we can start considering it......So my third question would be who is funding Indizel?

Jugaad!.... a popular term in T-BHP. Jugaad as in M&M?....since Mahindra appears to be a common target for the term - despite their recent track record to the contrary!

And as for "global company of tremendous proven repute..." It seems to me that "global" companies (presumably the 5 sisters /7 sisters are part of this coterie) would have minimal incentive to develop fossil alternatives - at least till their backs are to the wall! It will always fall to the developing economies (Brazil and gasohol immediately spring to mind) to look for path-breakers in the alternative energy sector.

So where is the problem with "open technology" if it helps break the vicious circle of import dependency combined with the double whammy of fossil fuels "diminishing returns"....

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by shashanka

And as for "global company of tremendous proven repute..." It seems to me that "global" companies (presumably the 5 sisters /7 sisters are part of this coterie) would have minimal incentive to develop fossil alternatives

you are getting confused.
Exxon, Shell etc are the users of technology (of course they have some in house R&D also). They are the "operators". They extract oil/gas, process them using "technologies" and sell the products to consumers.

The companies that I linked and talked about are primarily R&D companies. Who will always be scared of the changing technology and hence keep competing among themselves to find out new stuff. These companies create new "technology" and sell the license to the "operators".

Looks like you didn't click both the links to find out about their profile.
If such technology companies come up to us and say that look I have Technology Option 1 where diesel can be produced from petroleum and Technology Option 2 where diesel can be produced from discarded cooking fat and both perform identical. I will trust them more than a fly-by-night operator.

So where is the problem with "open technology" if it helps break the vicious circle of import dependency combined with the double whammy of fossil fuels "diminishing returns"....

I am disappointed; many people have posted on this thread about the issues with the current breed of "open technology" creating the FAME. I do not want to assemble everything in a single post and repeat.
It is your car, you have all the right to screw it.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by alpha1

you are getting confused.
Exxon, Shell etc are the users........you have all the right to screw it.

Hello alpha1,

I understand your concerns & I'd like to add that my concerns are similar. I've mentioned it earlier in the forum that I was among the early eager beavers who almost plonked some of my hard-earned in a pilot plant (around 2007/8) for oil extraction from Jatropha seeds. Fortunately better senses prevailed & I held on to my money!

Also being a marine engineer I've had prolonged experience of the problems with high sulphur fossil diesels. So I came to the obvious conclusion - that the primary importance was the elimination of sulphur content (or at least its drastic reduction) from diesel. The rest of the down-stream side-effects (solvent properties, much talked about - but unproven - corrosion effects etc) could always be tackled as engineering/research issues. Prime importance being the escape from total dependence on fossil sources & healing the ecology - sulphur & carbon footprint reduction! The interim technology (jugaad, FAME, indizel, jatropha) was of less importance. The larger picture has always been more my concern.

The following links are part of the picture which seem to give an idea of just where we stand:

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/...a-fiasco-61321

http://www.rediff.com/money/report/g...f/20100427.htm

https://www.newsbarons.com/oil-gas/i...able-in-india/

https://www.crownoil.co.uk/everythin...ame-biodiesel/

https://www.thequint.com/tech-and-au...lternate-fuels

In a country like ours, one thing which is of primary concern is food security. Just in case jatropha (its higher yielding newly developed varieties) or other bio sources (palm etc) prove viable, there is likely to be scramble for the commercialization. And the govt has earlier already faced the backlash from the farm sector regarding the indiscriminate appropriation of land for bio-fuel crops.

For myself, I'm keeping my fingers firmly crossed that we get deliverance from fossil fuels & a sustainable, cleaner, greener planet - period!

[Thilak29]

I have noted that Indezel is opening stations at remote places not really on highway edges. Unsuspecting customers are easy targets in these area.