Special Correspondent
Panaji
The state cabinet approved a policy on Wednesday for the management of Used Cooking Oil (UCO) for the production of biofuel.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that under the policy, the government will facilitate the collection of used cooking oil from hotels, restaurants and industries and process it into biodiesel through a
private agency.
“The Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) has prepared the policy, which will be implemented in coordination with the department of environment and Food and Drugs Administration (FDA),”
he said. Speaking further, Saw-ant said that the idea is to prevent the overuse or disposal of this cooking oil into drains, creating health or environmental
problems.
Incidentally, India has made E20 fuel – a blend of 80% petrol and 20% ethanol – the standard petrol available at its 90,000 fuel stations. Produced from crops like sugarcane and maize, ethanol is used to cut crude oil imports and reduce
emissions.
However, the rapid rollout has sparked backlash from drivers of older vehicles due to engine wear and lower mileage due to this blended fuel.
