India energy supplies : India energy supplies : Case study :Case study :Jatropha as a bio Jatropha as a bio

fuel in Indiafuel in India

Key idea on WJEC Key idea on WJEC specificationspecification

• 1.6 Key question : What are the 1.6 Key question : What are the environmental challenges and environmental challenges and solutions facing India?solutions facing India?

• The causes and consequences of the The causes and consequences of the need for energy suppliesneed for energy supplies

Energy supplies India a perspectiveEnergy supplies India a perspective• In 2006, India was the sixth largest oil consumer in the In 2006, India was the sixth largest oil consumer in the

world. world.

• India lacks sufficient domestic energy resources and India lacks sufficient domestic energy resources and

must import much of its growing energy requirements.must import much of its growing energy requirements.

Jatropha as a bio fuel in IndiaJatropha as a bio fuel in India

• In 2009 BP announced it is In 2009 BP announced it is

investing almost £32m in a investing almost £32m in a

jatropha joint venture with jatropha joint venture with

UK bio fuels firm D1 Oils. UK bio fuels firm D1 Oils.

• Once dried out and Once dried out and

crushed, the seeds yield oil crushed, the seeds yield oil

which can be burned in which can be burned in

almost any diesel engine - almost any diesel engine -

with no modification. with no modification.

What are its advantages?What are its advantages?

• 1.Impact on climate change1.Impact on climate change :Bio fuel plants like :Bio fuel plants like

jatropha absorb carbon-dioxide while they are jatropha absorb carbon-dioxide while they are

growing, effectively cancelling out the carbon growing, effectively cancelling out the carbon

dioxide they release when they burn.dioxide they release when they burn.

• 2. They could allow developing countries like India to 2. They could allow developing countries like India to

be be more self-sufficientmore self-sufficient rather than depending on oil rather than depending on oil

and gas imports.and gas imports.

• 3. Jatropha can 3. Jatropha can grow in poor soilsgrow in poor soils and needs and needs very very

little waterlittle water to survive. to survive.

What are the issues with bio fuels and What are the issues with bio fuels and sustainability?sustainability?

• Subsistence farming - Subsistence farming -

growing food to eat - is still growing food to eat - is still

a widespread activity, a widespread activity,

jatropha could jatropha could replace replace

much-needed food cropsmuch-needed food crops, ,

turning India into a turning India into a

monoculture.monoculture.

• The UN says The UN says basic food basic food

prices for poor countries prices for poor countries

are being pushed upare being pushed up by by

competition for land from competition for land from

bio fuels.bio fuels.

• A report from the charity Grain A report from the charity Grain

amplifies recent warnings from amplifies recent warnings from

the UN's Food and Agriculture the UN's Food and Agriculture

Organization (FAO) Organization (FAO) that some bio that some bio

fuels produce hardly any carbon fuels produce hardly any carbon

savings at all. savings at all.

• The Grain report says its research The Grain report says its research

shows how governments and bio shows how governments and bio

fuels firms in developing countries fuels firms in developing countries

are collaborating to are collaborating to push push

indigenous people and peasant indigenous people and peasant

communities off their land.communities off their land.

Green energyGreen energy

• According to the Indian According to the Indian

government, the government, the

2008/2009 economic 2008/2009 economic

slowdown in the slowdown in the

financial sector offers financial sector offers

an opportunity to an opportunity to

develop new jobs in the develop new jobs in the

green sector and grow green sector and grow

a lower-carbon a lower-carbon

industrial sector industrial sector

• Following India’s Following India’s

National Action Plan on National Action Plan on

Climate Change, ,from Climate Change, ,from

2009 all power utilities 2009 all power utilities

will have to source at will have to source at

least 5% of their power least 5% of their power

from renewable energy from renewable energy

sources, with a one sources, with a one

percent increase every percent increase every

year thereafter.year thereafter.

Thanks to the following people Thanks to the following people for the imagesfor the images

• www.flickr.comwww.flickr.com