India’s economic growth in the past decade has instilled a sentiment of hope in the country that is said to be home to a third of the world’s poor. Yet with a growing economy comes a growing demand for consumer goods, and with a growing demand for goods comes a growing demand for the energy to power and transport those goods. In the past decade, India has seen its consumption of oil outpace its production to such an extent that in 2010 it became the world’s fifth largest net importer of oil at over 2.2 million barrels per day. As India’s growing economy continues to be offset by increasing energy vulnerability, looking to domestic alternatives to sustain its growth in the long run will become increasingly important.
Earth-100 is one venture that is helping push this transition forward by offering companies biofuel solutions to supplement their energy needs. Biofuel, in particular biodiesel, has long been looked at around the world as a feasible source of domestic energy. On top of the economic benefits of energy independence, biodiesel is a renewable resource and far cleaner than petroleum based fuels, reducing emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and practically eliminating emissions of sulfur oxides and sulfates. It is also practical, as it can be used in most existing diesel engines with comparable vehicle performance.
A supply chain solutions provider, Earth-100 acts as the middleman between the client interested in transitioning to biofuel and the producers or manufacturers that can make it happen. They have partnered with Mahindra & Mahindra to offer their clients access to a unique fleet of cars that have been customized to run on 100% biodiesel. Their services for these cars include maintenance and performance tracking, customized dispensers and more. They have also partnered with CleanStar to allow customers to transform their current diesel engine into a twin tank engine capable of running on biofuel, petroleum diesel, or a mixture of the two. Chhattisgarh Biodiesel Development Authority provides the fuel, which they produce from the Jatropha seed, a plant native to Chhattisgarh. Earth-100 is constantly looking for new sources – algae, for instance – to diversify their supply and prevent dependence on any one source.