Biofuel Production from Borassus Flabellifer

Fossil fuels are depleting at a faster rate and these sources will vanish by the end of this century. There is an urgent need for alternative fuel source to replace fossil fuel and to further prevent environmental damage by fossil fuel. Biodiesel obtained from esterification of non-edible oils or waste oils or Bioethanol produced from surplus agricultural and lignocellulosic residues blended with diesel or petrol have contributed immensely to reduce fossil fuel consumption and have also contributed towards reduction of noxious gases emission into the environment. The feedstock used for biofuel production should be available in surplus, economical and most preferably should not be of food quality. There are many tree species bearing seeds or fruits with limited applications in coastal India. Of these, Borassus flabellifer a palm tree that bears the fruits annually in bunch of 25–40 fruits per bunch and a well grown tree would bear 8 to 10 such bunches. In the present investigation the fruits of Borassus flabellifer are being evaluated for duel biofuel production, i.e., bioethanol and biodiesel. Even though there is a technical difficulty in extricating the copra of the fruit for biodiesel production, the juice and lignocellulosic fibres obtained from the fruit cover and wet kernel were found to be a promising feedstock for bioethanol production. The feasibility of the feedstock for biofuel production is discussed in this study.