»Jatropha
~ resistant to drought and pests
~ produces seeds containing up to 40% oil
~ when the seeds are crushed and processed, the resulting oil can be used in a standard diesel engine
~ while the residue can also be processed into biomass to power electricity plants
~ Goldman Sachs cited Jatropha curcas as one of the best candidates for future biodiesel production
~ can grow in wastelands
~ fertilises the soil that it grows in
~ yields more than four times as much fuel per hectare as soybean; more than ten times that of corn
~ a hectare of jatropha produces 1,892 liters of fuel
»jatrophaworld.org

» BP and D1 Oils Form Joint Venture to Develop Jatropha Biodiesel Feedstock
~ to accelerate the planting of Jatropha curcas
~ a drought resistant, inedible oilseed bearing tree which does not compete with food crops for good agricultural land
~ or adversely impact the rainforest – in order to make more sustainable biodiesel feedstock available on a larger scale
~ BP and D1 Oils intend to invest around $160 million over the next five years
~ D1 Oils will contribute into the joint venture their 172,000 hectares of existing plantations
~ in India, Southern Africa and South East Asia
~ joint venture will have exclusive access to the elite jatropha seedlings produced through D1 Oils’ plant science programme
~ Jatropha oil produced from the plantations will be used to meet both local biodiesel requirements
~ and for export to markets such as Europe, where domestic feedstock produced from rapeseed and waste oil
~ is unlikely to be sufficient to meet anticipated regulatory led demand for biodiesel of around 11 million tonnes a year from 2010
~ once all the planned plantations are established,
~ the joint venture is expected to become the world’s largest commercial producer of jatropha feedstock
~ producing up to 2 million tonnes of jatropha oil a year
~ as this hardy crop can be grown on a wide range of land types,
~ it can make a significant impact on employment in rural areas of developing countries
~ where planting takes place, a benefit which fits well with BP’s aspiration to pursue relationships which are mutually advantageous

~ Neste Oil is looking into using Jatropha for its second generation biodiesel

»Jatropha in Africa
~ tough perennial tree, can survive in the desert, actually stablizes soil and combat desertification
~ its beans can be refined for diesel fuel
challenges:
1) Jatropha oil is hydroscopic - absorbs water and needs nitrogen blanketing on steel tanks.
2) Right from the time of expelling, the oil needs to be kept in storage conditions that prevent undue degradation.
3) The range of fatty acids present in the various seeds will differ but the oil and biodiesel that is produced must be acceptable
4) The phospholipid, protein and phorbol ester contents in edible Jatropha
5) Seeds degrade as soon as they are picked and so careful storage and handling is required.
6) There has never been a highly commercial group handling Jatropha Curcas harvest and derivatives.