(a) Whether the Government is aware that Delhi College of Engineering has
recently developed Bio-diesel from some plants which is energy efficient, cost-
effective, pollution free and termed as domestic fuel;
(b) If so, the details thereof; and
(c) The steps taken by the Government to improve the
production of bio-gas and bio-diesel in the country and to
save the valuable foreign exchange?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (A. NARENDRA)
(a) & (b) The Delhi College of Engineering has been engaged in research
in the area of bio-diesel for the last two years. The Ministry of Non-
Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) has sponsored a R&D project
in the Delhi College of Engineering in December, 2004 to develop an
efficient bio-diesel reactor for rural application and utilization of multi-
feedstock derived bio-diesel in medium capacity diesel engines.
(c) The MNES has been implementing the National Project on Bio-gas
Development since 1981-82 .Since inception of the programme till 2004-05,
about 3.8 million family size biogas plants have been installed. For the
development of bio-diesel sector through cultivation of Jatropha plant with
the objective of mass-producing bio-diesel as a substitute to petroleum based
fuels and for saving valuable foreign exchange, the Ministry of Rural
Development has been identified as the nodal ministry to operationalise
the recommendations of the Planning Commission Report on Bio-Fuel.