Green fuel: Turn your fried oil into Biodiesel

( Article contributed by Dr. Bharathi Prakash, Asst. Prof. and Head, Dept of Microbiology, University College, Mangalore University, Mangalore.)

The Rise in human population and overconsumption of energy are increasing pollution and depletion of energy resources. To counterbalance, various renewable energy resources need to be tapped which are hidden around us. Agricultural biomass, plant-based non-edible oil, waste cooking oil are some of the options for implementation. As the junk food is in increasing demand, fried stuff is easily available in most restaurants and eateries. Frying food consumes a large amount of vegetable oil while generating some quantity of waste oil

Repeated usage of leftover fried oil is one of such raw materials that can be used for the biodiesel production. In one of the surveys conducted across 200 restaurants, there are about 3000 litres of fried cooking oil generated everyday; and it is disposed of as waste. Once the food stuff is fried, the remaining oil needs to be used not more than 2-3 times. However several hotels use fried oil repeatedly. Such oil generates harmful chemicals like heterocyclic amines and heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons forming acrylamide that can cause cancer.

The waste fried cooking oil is reused and disposed of in varied ways. The small quantity of leftover fried oil is drained into kitchen sinks by most domestic dwellers and gradually it may block the drainage pipelines. Small hotels throw leftover oil into garbage that is discarded in the open dump yard which pollutes soil. In the rainy season, it also percolates in the nearby wells and water bodies further spreading  into larger areas.

Some people sell this oil for a lower price and reuse the same to cook, burn lamps and firewood at home. Still there are people who purify oil by their own unique method of refining the dark fried oil into the reusable clear oil. Some eateries reuse oil to fry non-vegetarian food. 

Few people claim no oil leftover while even the last drop is used for cooking. Some give it to the phenol and soap making industry. Big hotels give it to small roadside eatery outlets. Some were found to coat the boats to make it water resistant. If oil is in less quantity, it is flushed in the toilets and that percolates to nearby well through the seepage of the septic tank. These are some of the real time practices of using fried cooking oil.

Pathfinding solution –

 All these practices of using cooking oil can be directed to adopt the RUCO concept, ‘Repurpose used cooking oil’ launched by Food safety and standards authority of India (fssai). RUCO is an ecosystem that collects and converts cooking oil into biodiesel. It is a simple low investment ‘Biodiesel’ plant. It can be a novel Start-up venture for aspiring young ‘Ecopreneurs’ to generate employment and to keep the economy rolling in.

To promote and popularize this RUCO scheme, the government has fixed a biodiesel price for  three years.  In India there are around 25 successful biodiesel manufacturers generating renewable energy sources out of waste fried cooking oil.

There are many options to implement this RUCO scheme. At a main collection point in a city, all the waste fried cooking oil can be collected and transported to the nearby processing unit.  Alternatively, all the fuel stations can be made as the collection points. And the fried waste oil from homes, apartments, hotels, eateries and restaurants can be collected by people in their own vehicle, whenever they visit a fuel station to fill the fuel. This collected waste oil can be transported for biodiesel production.

The by-product of the biodiesel production  like  glycerine can be used in numerous applications including hand sanitizer, cleansers, lotions, solvents, and much more. The co-products of  biodiesel production are renewable propane,  butane and naphtha, which is used in solvents, paint thinners, varnish, plastics and more.

A start up investment in RUCO ‘Biodiesel’ plant helps to prevent cooking oil adulteration, soil and water pollution. It also generates employment in every city. Such government policies need to be responded to by the emerging young entrepreneurs to safeguard the health of consumers and generate a reliable, safe source of biofuel in future. More information on RUCO can be found on its official website-https://fssai.gov.in/ruco.

The RUCO of FSSAI and ‘Eat right India’ are launched to make a healthy India as ‘SWASTHA BHARAT’ by providing safe, wholesome and hygienic food. The Government of India is supporting various schemes for the start-up projects and also providing financial support through K-TECH Park, DBT, DST, BIRAC government agencies. Its effective implementation will improve the economy and boost employment in a big way keeping ‘Mother Earth’- clean and green.