Biodiesel a fatty acid alkyl esteris one of the promising biofuel and a clean energy source as an alternative to petroleum-based diesel fuels. The Enzymatic transesterification reaction is influenced by many factors such as amount of biocatalyst, molar ratio of oil to alcohol, temperature, pH, rpm, time etc. Effective variables for transesterification may vary based on the type of feedstock and catalyst used, therefore it is essential to optimise the process suitable for each type of feedstock to achieve higher yield of biodiesel. The statistically-based Plackett-Burman experimental design was adopted in this study to identify effective factors for transesterification reaction of Pongamiapinnata seed oil using immobilized lipase. The factors used in the present study for Plackett-Burman design are molar ratio, amount of immobilized lipase, temperature, time, pH, agitation and water content. The result showed that among seven variables, pH (p-value0.003), agitation speed(p-value 0.024) and amount of immobilized lipase(p-value 0.041) having p<0.05 are statistically significant, positively affecting the transesterification process of Pongamia seed oil. Further the variables which had significant effect on transesterification process will be selected for Response Surface Methodology studies to enhance the yield of biodiesel will be the future scope of work.

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