Question

Which plant is used in biodiesel?
1. Palm tree
2. Jatropha
3. Coconut tree
4. Eucalyptus

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : Jatropha

Biodiesel:

• Biodiesel is an alternative fuel similar to conventional or ‘fossil’ diesel.
• Biodiesel can be produced from straight vegetable oil, animal oil/fats, tallow, and waste cooking oil.
• The process used to convert these oils to Biodiesel is called transesterification.
• In December 2009, the Union government launched the National Biodiesel Mission (NBM) identifying Jatropha as the most suitable tree-borne oilseed for biodiesel production to help achieve a proposed biodiesel blend of 20 percent with conventional diesel by 2017. 
• While Malaysia uses Palm Oil, the US uses Soyabean and European nations use sunflower seeds for the production of biodiesel, the Indian government preferred to use the Jatropha plant for the production of biodiesel.