Cleaning up the act – Setting standards: prices and marketing of bio-diesel – The Indian Express, New Delhi, 1^st September, 2005

The government is working on a policy which will set standards for prices, specifications and marketing of bio-diesel, a fuel made with the seeds of Jatropha plant.

“The draft bio-diesel purchase policy is under consideration by the petroleum minister. It may be announced within a month,” Leena Mehendale, joint secretary and executive director at the Petroleum Research Association (PCRA) said at a workshop held this week.

Under it, the government would announce a minimum support price for Jatropha, lay down specifications of bio-diesel and set up marketing terminals where bio-diesel producers would bring their product to sell to the oil companies.

These terminals would have blending facilities for bio-diesel with petro-diesel and sell the prepared bio-diesel blend to retailers. There would be a lab installed to test the specifications. Currently companies such as Indian Oil Company, Hindustan Petroleum & Bharat Petroleum have established their own testing facilities. Some more companies have expressed interest to market Jatropha. The aim of the policy is to encourage producers of bio-diesel and ensure purchasers a continues supply.

At present there was no sustainable chain and linkage between different parties involved in the entire process of bio-diesel production & selling.