State-run OMCs Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) have launched a programme to procure biodiesel made from used cooking oil (UCO) in 100 cities across the country. Under the programme, the three OMCs will invite expressions of interest from private entities for setting up plants to produce biodiesel from UCO. In India, 27 billion litres of cooking oil is used annually, of which 1.4 billion litres of UCO can be collected from bulk consumers such as hotels, restaurants and canteens for conversion, yielding around 1.1 billion litres of biodiesel every year.