Review and prospects of bitter apricot oil as an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production - an Indian perspective

Abstract

The increasing energy demands along with the gradual depletion of fossil fuels have prompted to search for alternative fuels that can be obtained from renewable energy resource. Biodiesel as a renewable energy resource has drawn the attention of many researchers and scientists because it has immense potential to be part of a sustainable energy mix in near future. This paper explores the feasibility of converting wild/bitter apricot (Prunus armeniaca Linn.) oil into biodiesel and its prospects in India and reviews the history of wild apricot, its origin, distribution, oil extraction, biodiesel processing and engine testing. The positive attributes and limitations of the bitter apricot utilisation are also discussed. It was unveiled that the production of biodiesel from wild apricot oil offers many social, economical and environmental benefits for the country and can play a great role to solve the problem of energy crisis in high altitude areas of India. The prospects of wild apricot biodiesel and its expansion for setting up biodiesel industry in the mountainous regions have also been emphasised. [Received: March 4, 2015; Accepted: June 13, 2015]