Shoma Patnaik
Panaji
The enforcement of Goa’s Used Cooking Oil (UCO) Policy for reuse as biodiesel, notified on August 14, is moving forward, with a tentative purchase rate of Rs 40 per litre set for an initial six-month period.
Under the plan, registered aggregators will buy discarded oil from eateries and bulk generators at this rate.
The resulting biodiesel will be sold exclusively to the Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) at a price notified by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), expected to be Rs 10 per litre lower than the prevailing diesel price in the state.
The implementation committee formed to oversee the policy recently held its second meeting, chaired by the managing director of the Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA). Representatives from key departments and agencies—including New & Renewable Energy, Environment & Climate Change, Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), and the Goa State Pollution Control Board—attended the meeting alongside industry bodies, aggregators, and restaurant associations.
During the meeting, GEDA announced that a portal has been created to register UCO generators, aggregators, and processors.
A circular has also been issued directing bulk generators to sell discarded oil only to registered vendors.
Several recognised aggregators, including Byufuel India Pvt Ltd, Munzer Bharat, and Sureflo Techcon Ltd, are currently operating in the state.
However, initial implementation challenges surfaced during discussions. A representative from the Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) noted that hotels and restaurants currently receive around Rs 80 per litre in the open market, making it difficult for members to transition to the proposed Rs 40 per litre rate.
In response, aggregators pointed to unauthorised entities operating in Goa, arguing that unlicensed procurement has artificially inflated prices and distorted the market.
FDA officials stated that the purchase price of UCO must be linked to the market rate of biodiesel and its manufacturing costs to maintain fair play and prevent the illegal diversion of collected oil.
