THE FINANCIAL EXPRESS

Biodiesel Project Coming Up In AP.

OUR CORPORATE BUREAU
Hyderabad, May 6

In order to give fillip to its proposed biodiesel project, Southern Online Biotechnologies Ltd has roped in scientists from leading research institutes like IIT, Delhi, Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, to act as honorary advisors for the country's first biodiesel project in Andhra Pradesh.

As part of the advisory committee, the scientists who have evinced interest in the project include: Dr AK Bhatnagar, Petrotech chair professor in the department of chemical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (lIT, Delhi), Prof LM Das, lIT, Delhi and consultant for General Motors, Prof Udipi Srinivasa, IISc, Bangalore, Dr TNB Kaimal from the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology and Mr Sudhir Singhal, director of Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun.

"'The scientists will be the honorary advisors for the Rs 14.8crore biodiesel project to come up inAndhra Pradesh with the technology being sourced from Lurgi, Germany," Mr N Satish Kumar, director of the company said. However, the research institutes are not directly involved with the project.

The technology involves extraction of biodiesel from non-edible seed oils like Pongamia or Jatropha seeds or vegetable fats by esterification and transesterification using methanol or ethanol and chemical catalysts, he said.

The project, expected to be initiated this year, has already obtained the import and export code from the joint director general of foreign trade along with clearances from the industries department. The total capacity of the plant through extraction is estimated about 30 tonnes per day.