Indian companies also enter biofuel business in Ghana

India’s biggest investment in the sector so far in Ghana, which is to the tune of US$45 million is by the Ghana subsidiary of the Indian company, Hazel Mercantile. The Mumbai-based company which is a distributor of chemicals and petrochemical products intends to cultivate jatropha to produce biofuel.

The reports quoting an official of the Ghana Investments Promotion Council (GIPC), Augustine Acheampong Otto, who is Director of Global and Regional Operations revealed that another Indian company has already secured land in the country for the same purpose, but he did not name the company.

He however, said the company has made an investment commitment of US$40 million to cultivate jatropha and process biofuel in Ghana.

According to Mr. Otoo, the Indian company which started talks with the GIPC last year, has already set up office in Ghana at the beginning of this year.

“They are asking for 50,000 hectares. That is not difficult for us, as an Israeli firm had asked for 100,000 hectares and we were able to secure it in four areas close to each other,” he said.

He added, “Netherlands has started with about 100 acres in the northern part of the country. The Chinese have started a pilot project. Germans and Israelis are also here, along with Belgium and Italy.”

The rising interest of foreign businesses in the alternative energy sector in Ghana, is not without some costs and social challenges to the country which is mainly an agriculture economy.

Agriculture employs about 60 per cent of the population in Ghana and contributes about 35% of GDP. The sector contributes about 40 to 50% of total foreign exchange earnings, but only about 16% of arable land is used for agriculture.

But the country imports almost everything it eats. The country produces only 21% of its rice and about 42% of its maize requirements.

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posted by Sudha @ 11:56 PM 0 Comments

GM India inks agreement with CSMCRI for Jatropha production

General Motors India has pumped in nearly US$ 0.5 million to obtain biodiesel from Jatropha and test it on its vehicles at CSMCRI. During the first phase trials, GM manufactured vehicle were run over 25,000 kilometres on bio-diesel blended fuel and the content of bio-diesel as fuel ranged between 10-20 per cent during the testing phase. The company is also in the process of setting up phase II of the project, which involves a CSMCRI proposal to conduct experimental jatropha cultivation in small scale trial plantations on a wasteland in Gujarat for biodiesel application as CSR activity, reported PTI. Furthermore, the state govt has already been approached for obtaining 50-70 hectares of wasteland in Panchmahal to commence the Jatropha plantation project.

Jatropha oil is vegetable oil produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas, a plant that can grow in wastelands. Jatropha curcas grows almost anywhere, even on gravelly, sandy and saline soils. It can also thrive on the poorest stony soil and grow in the crevices of rocks.According to highly-placed sources, the government of India has set an indicative target for blending 20 per cent in petrol and non-edible oil from plants like Jatropha in diesel by 2017.

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Labels: Jatropha-Investment

posted by Sudha @ 11:38 PM 0 Comments