Possiblity of biofuel in nepal

Writer: pratima Bhandari

In the present context, fuel has become one of the most essential materials in
the world. 81% of the world's resources used as gasoline, coal and natural gases.
Every year about 15 billion metric
tons of fossil fuel is consumed.
The function of burning energy fuel has several purposes such
as running cars, ships and aircraft and also generating power.
  The world's fuel has been stored as fossil fuel,
natural gas, etc. under the ocean or on land.
There are 6,923 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of
proven gas estimated in the world in 2017.
The world has a proven reserve
equal to 52.3 times its annual demand.
This indicates about 52 years of gas
left according to the present level of consumption.


So for the betterment of the earth, the next viable option may be biofuel. BioFuel is
a fuel derived from biomass rather than a fuel generated through a very slow geological process.
  In the sense of Nepal, as a landlocked country, we are totally dependent on the neighboring nation for fuel sources such as gasoline, diesel, and other gases. According to the fiscal year 2018/2019, 216.42 billion has been spent on fuel imports, which is nearly 25.2% of the fiscal year. As an alternative way, biofuel production may be the solution for the conservation of national income. One of the best alternatives for the production of biofuel could be Jatropha commonly referred to as (sajiyol) in Nepal.
  
Jatropha curcas is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae.jatropha is very useful in the development of bio-diesel since it is not edible and does not compete
with human food. When jatropha seed is crushed, the resulting jatropha oil can be processed to produce high-quality bio-fuel or biodiesel that can be used as more refined diesel fuel.

Further processing into jet fuel as well as biomass feedstock for the power plant. Low rainfall soil is required so  Jatropa plant
is being encouraged in Nepal. In 40 districts, the initial phase of jathropa has been installed in 10,000 hectares of land.

Jatropa has received increased attention due to its characteristics of resistance to drought and the ability to grow in marginal land. This plant is widely found in semi-domestic tropical and subtropical areas. It is easy to develop, grow
rapidly, and needs little care even in poor soil conditions excluding waterlogged areas. The government of Nepal has started a program called "jaibik indhan k." which is supported by AEPC (Alternative Energy Promotion Center ).
There is a wide pool of skilled staff trained in agriculture, forestry, and natural resource management who can be effectively engaged in the biofuel promotion program.

They have sufficient labor unemployed in the country, using the pasture and unused land of the country and encouraging sufficient labor that can effectively engage in manufacturing and processing activities. This would
also help to increase job opportunities at the local level. Considering the proven capacity of biodiesel as an alternative to petroleum fuel, there will be a huge market for biodiesel within our country.