The West Bengal Government has made mandatory the use of 30 per cent bio-diesel for running any “old” diesel generating sets, manufactured before 2002, by all commercial and industrial establishments in the State. According to bio-diesel manufacturing circles here, the notification, issued on March 11, by the Department of Environment to reduce air and noise pollution by old diesel generating sets, which are not equipped with proper emission control mechanism, will have a favourable impact on the lone bio-diesel producer in the State.

The West Bengal Pollution Control Board has already received complaints and identified source of air and noise pollution from the old diesel generators of five to 1000 KVA, which do not conform to standards prescribed by a notification of May 15, 2002 by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. To be phased out The State Government also directed that the sets, not conforming to the standard, be phased out by February 2011, or they should be converted according to the specification “by exploring the feasibility to use bio-diesel of 30 per cent of the required fossil fuel for running the generator.”

Mr S.K. Mondal, Executive Director of Emami Bio-tech, which runs a plant at Haldia with a capacity for producing 300 tonnes daily, said that it was good news. “It should create a market for bio-diesel, which has so far been elusive. We are currently surveying the requirement bio-diesel for the numerous such generator sets in the State.” According to industry sources, lower cost of transport for locally available of bio-diesel from Emami could help it capture a large share of market.