Used frying oil over ethanol: new government route to 5% biodiesel blending

The government had planned to use ethanol to meet its goal of blending 5 percent biodiesel into diesel sales by 2030, but 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 reuse of used cooking oil (RUco) initiative that was launched in 2019, officials said.

Biodiesel is widely used in Europe and refers to biodegradable fuel traditionally produced from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled restaurant grease. However, large-scale blending has faced several obstacles in India due to limited