In August 2003, DaimlerChrysler India with Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) and the University of Hohenheim as partners started 'The Jatropha Biodiesel Project'. The project is partly funded by DEG (Deutsche Investitions Entwicklungsgesellschaft).
The Jatropha Biodiesel project has won the award for “Extraordinary efforts for the environment / extraordinary environmental responsibility”.
The project addresses issues such as:
- Rural income and employment
- Indigenous and environment-friendly biodiesel
- Reclamation of wasteland
This apart, it optimises the value-chain of biodiesel creation through best practices and models for community participation and emphasis on finding innovative utilisation of by-products. The project’s parallel ongoing focus is on vehicle testing, agronomic research and fuel improvements.
Commenting upon the progress of the project, Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India said “The Biodiesel project is at a very exciting stage now. Our vehicle tests with 100% pure (unblended) Biodiesel continue to show very positive results and we have now widened our fleet of Mercedes-Benz cars powered by Biodiesel.”
Since 2004, the Jatropha Biodiesel has generated community-wide support and interest towards alternate energy and Biodiesel. The project also included field-tests with Mercedes-Benz cars powered by pure (unblended) Biodiesel across nine states in India in 2004. This was followed by the cold weather high altitude tests of the Biodiesel cars across KhardungLa- the highest motorable road in the world and also across the frozen Himalayan terrains in 2005. The inputs from the successful road tests paved the way for an attempt to provide sustainable mobility supported by the automotive industry. Besides that, the vehicles are also tested across the length and breadth of the country.