Existing policies for Biodiesel

  1. Home
    2. /
  2. Existing policies for Biodiesel

To encourage the production of Biodiesel in the country, MoP&NG announced a Biodiesel Purchase Policy, in October 2005, which became effective from 1st January 2006. Under this policy OMCs are to purchase Biodiesel (B100), meeting the fuel quality standard prescribed by BIS for blending with HSD to the extent of 5% at identified purchase centres across the country.

  1. In its meeting held on 16th January 2015, the Cabinet, decided to allow the direct sale of Biodiesel (B100) by private Biodiesel manufacturers, their authorized dealers and Joint Ventures (JVs) of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) authorized by MoPNG to all consumers.
  2. On 10th August 2015, the Government allowed the direct sale of Biodiesel (B100) to Bulk Consumers such as Railways, State Road Transport Corporations, etc. by amending the Motor Spirit and High-Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005. Oil Marketing Companies also started selling blended Biodiesel on 10.08.2015 from selected Retail Outlets (petroleum pumps) in the country.
  3. Later, MoP&NG issued Gazette notification No. GSR 728 (E) on 29th June 2017 for amending the Motor Spirit and High-Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005 which states that the Central Government may permit the direct sale of biodiesel (B100) for blending with high-speed diesel to all consumers, subject to the conditions given in the notification.
  4. IS 15607 Biodiesel (B100) — Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (Fame) — Specification has been amended in March 2016 with Scope as follows:
    “This standard prescribes the requirements and methods of sampling and tests for biodiesel (B100) — fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) for use in compression ignition engines designed to run on stand-alone fuel and as a blendstock for diesel fuel. B 100 stand-alone can also be used for heating applications and industrial engines.”
  5. BIS has amended IS: 1460 (Automotive Diesel Fuel Specification) in December 2017 as follows:
    “Biodiesel (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester, FAME) conforming to IS 15607 may be blended up to 7 percent (v/v) with automotive diesel fuel.”
  6. Approximately 800 crore litre of high-speed diesel is sold in the country per month.
  7. Biodiesel procurement by the Oil Companies is as follows:
    * POs have been placed for supply of 8.14 Crore litre of Biodiesel by OMCs
  8. At present biodiesel blended diesel is being sold from 4800 retail outlets in the country by the OMCs.
  9. MoP&NG has issued the National Biofuel Policy-2018 in which an indicative target of 5 % blending of biodiesel in diesel is proposed by 2030.
  10. It has been stated in the policy that in house produced Used/Waste Cooking Oil (UCO/WCO) offers the potential to be a source of biodiesel production. However, the same is marred by the diversion of UCO to edible stream through various small eateries/vendors & traders and focus will be laid upon laying down the stringent norms for avoiding the entry of UCO in the food stream and developing a suitable collection mechanism to augment its supply for biodiesel production.
  11. Repeated frying of oil leads to changes in physicochemical, nutritional and sensory properties of edible oil. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) First Amendment Regulation, 2017 w.r.t. quality of vegetable oil for repeated frying in the official gazette of India.
  12. This regulation prescribes the limit for Total Polar Compounds (TPC) to be maximum 25% beyond which the vegetable oil is not suitable for use. These standards have come into force from 01st July 2018.
  13. A meeting to discuss the disposal and collection of Used Cooking Oil was
    held under the Chairmanship of Chief Executive Officer, FSSAI on 17th July, 2018 at FSSAI.