Used cooking oil over ethanol: Govt's new route to 5% biodiesel blending

Oil-marketing companies may expand from 200 locations to source used cooking oil

The government had been planning to use ethanol to meet its target of blending 5 per cent biodiesel in diesel sales by 2030, but the volatility in ethanol production volumes has forced it to shelve the plan, officials said. Instead, it is now focusing on used cooking oil (Uco), with plans to expand the repurpose used cooking oil (Ruco) initiative launched in 2019, officials said.

Widely used in Europe, biodiesel refers to biodegradable fuel traditionally manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease. However, large-scale blending has faced multiple hurdles in India due to the limited