The Jatropha Blog

Indian companies also enter biofuel business in Ghana

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 06:56:00 +0000

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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GM India inks agreement with CSMCRI for Jatropha production

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 06:38:00 +0000

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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Jatropha Biodiesel Research in India

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:46:00 +0000

GM has entered into an agreement with India’s Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) to support the production of jatropha biodiesel.

Under this proposal, CSMCRI will conduct a research, produce and supply jatropha oil for two years, which in the form of biodiesel will be tested on GM vehicles, General Motor India Vice-President (corporate affairs) P Balendran told PTI.

“Under this agreement, the research institute will also be utilising two acres of land at GM India’s Talegaon plant at Maharashtra for Jatropha cultivation as part of the company’s resolve to explore environment friendly operational solutions,” Mr. Balendran said.

Phase II of the CSMCRI project will involve experimental jatropha cultivation in small scale trial plantations in Gujarat. GM Powertrain Europe is supplying a test fleet of six cars that are being run on various Jatropha biodiesel blends.

Although the jatropha biodiesel work is much smaller in scale that GM’s support for cellulosic ethanol, GM began its biodiesel support in India several years ago, said Alan Adler, GM’s Manager, Biofuels Communications.

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Japan To Support Jatropha Production

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:19:00 +0000

THE Japanese government has signed a $73,948 with the Ohayo Ghana Foundation, an NGO, for the construction of a Jatropha oil press factory at Puriya in the Yendi District.

Part of the grant is also expected to be used for the purchase of a generator to power the factory’s machines as well as provide electricity to the over 360 inhabitants of the predominantly farming community.

Jatropha is a biofuel crop.

At the signing ceremony in Accra on Wednesday, the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Keiichi Katakami, commended the foundation, the chief and the people of Puriya for the initiative and said it had enormous potential to revolutionalise the production of energy in the country.

He encouraged the cultivation of Jatropha to lessen the over-dependence on crude oil and promote alternative, environmentally friendly sources of energy.

According to him, the grant would further boost the cultivation of Jatropha which and could possibly be used for the production of biodiesel to power various machines and equipment.

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Bharat Renewables $438 milion, 10-refinery jatropha biodiesel project in India

noreply@blogger.com (Ecacofonix) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:42:00 +0000

In India, Bharat Renewable Energy announced that it will invest $438 million in a biodiesel project in Uttar Pradesh. Bharat Petroleum said it has set up a joint venture with Nandan Biomatrix and Shapoorji Pallonji that would construct 10 refineries and 200 jatropha oil extraction units in Kanpur, Jhansi, Laltpur, Chitrakoot and Sultanpur. The project would create a 270 Mgy of biodiesel capacity. The company also said it was investigating comparable projects in other states.

Source: Biofuels Digest

Jatropha The Next Big Biofuel

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:52:00 +0000

President Barack Obama's green-energy rhetoric is on the level, this should be the year the U.S. gets clued in to what much of the rest of the world is already betting: that jatropha, like other nonfood sources such as algae, will revive a biofuels movement battered of late by charges that it diverts too many crops from too many mouths. India has set aside 100 million acres for jatropha and expects the oil to account for 20% of its diesel consumption by 2011. Australia, China, Brazil and Kenya have also embraced it. In December, a Boeing 747 was successfully test-flown by Air New Zealand using a 50-50 blend of jatropha and aviation fuel.

"This is a superior biodiesel," says Roy Beckford, a University of Florida researcher and expert on sustainable farm development. He has been studying different varieties of jatropha and in February plans to publish his findings that trees like those the Daltons are growing (since 2006 they've planted 900,000 near Fort Myers) thrive so well in Florida that they may yield up to eight times as much oil as they do in places like India and Africa. That translates into as much as 1,600 gal. of diesel fuel per acre per year, vs. 200 gal. for stocks that grow in the wild.

Full Article from Source

Jatropha & Malaysia - an analysis

noreply@blogger.com (Ecacofonix) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:55:00 +0000

A good article on the prospects of jatropha, with a Malaysia focus. Also mentions that “jatro-preneurs” and “jatro-preneurs” could drop in at the JatrophaWorld 2009 convention to be held in Kuala Lumpur in the middle of February 2009...this is apparently one the highly attended jatropha gatherings in the world.

Interesting

Jatropha Investments

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Several governments in the region have announced plans for massive planting programs. The Indian government is targeting 13.5 million hectares, or 33.5 million acres, for jatropha cultivation by 2012; in the Philippines, a British firm, NRG Chemical Engineering, has set up a joint venture with the state-owned Philippine National Oil to construct a biodiesel refinery and two ethanol distilleries.

NRG Chemical says that it will invest $600 million in jatropha plantations that will cover over a million hectares, mainly on the islands of Palawan and Mindanao.

Even Myanmar is joining the fray, with the director general of Myanmar's energy planning department being quoted over the summer saying that the country hopes to have 2.8 million hectares of jatropha plantations by the end of next year. The country has already planted 650,000 hectares, according to news reports.

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Why Jatropha?

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:54:00 +0000

Jatropha curcas is proven to be one of the most promising sources of biodiesel. Jatropha is a non-food crop that can grow in wastelands and yields more than four times as much fuel per hectare as soybean, and more than ten times that of corn. Nonetheless, the lower cost of subsidized diesel, makes the commercial-scale cultivation of jatropha not economically viable. The revenues from selling the carbon credit from plantation as well as substitution of diesel, however, will make the project sustainable. Furthermore, jatropha cultivation has a huge potential to alleviate soil degradation, desertification and deforestation by greening the vast wasteland while providing employment to rural extremely poor and marginalized communities.

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Jatropha Oil for Energy Partners Chile Ltd...

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:31:00 +0000

Gold Star Biofuels, a Goldstar Farms Ltd. company based in Ghana, has secured a contract to build small biodiesel production facilities throughout Chile to produce a combined total capacity of 77 MMgy from Chilean jatropha oil for Energy Partners Chile Ltd. A B20 biodiesel blend will be used to produce electricity at Energy Partners Chile’s 43-megawatt power generation facility in Degan on the island of Chiloe.

According to Jack Holden, executive director for Gold Star Biofuels, the company has commitments from farmers in Chile to grow jatropha on 2.5 million acres. “We like to find land where other things don't grow very well or land that has been fallow,” Holden said. He said the biofuels company will set up eight separate refineries in Chile that will each produce more than 100,000 liters (26,400 gallons) of biodiesel per day. Holden said the technology provider will be USFuelTech LLC of Aiken, S.C., which provides turnkey, modular biodiesel refineries.

Gold Star Biofuels plans to begin cultivating jatropha in Chile and within two years will deliver biodiesel to Energy Partners Chile for power generation.

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Jatropha- The Fuel Of Future

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:24:00 +0000

The Indian Army which is actively particiapting in the program has planted Jatropha in 300 hectares to conduct key tests and uses oil from the plant’s seed as bio-diesel to power its tanks. The fuel mix comprises 80 per cent diesel and 20 per cent Jatropha oil. The Army is keen on Jatropha because it believes in case of war the first casualty will be import of petroleum products.

There are now several hundred hectares of Jartopha plantations across the country without any government push, policy or subsidies that’s because Jatropha is a hardy species and can grow on wasteland. It grows almost anywhere, even on gravelly, sandy and saline soils. It can thrive on the poorest stony soil and grow in the crevices of rocks.

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UC-Davis aims to tap exotic jatropha plant as biofuel source for California

noreply@blogger.com (Ecacofonix) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:59:00 +0000

January 14, 2009

University of California-Davis engineers, plant scientists and geneticists are heading a Chevron-sponsored project to develop the Jatropha curcas plant as a crop for biodiesel production in California. The three-year collaborative research program, now nearing its first year of completion, focuses on plant domestication, yield improvements and harvest optimization.

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Jatropha Reality Check: Upcoming Webcast Shares Latest Insights

noreply@blogger.com (Ecacofonix) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:58:00 +0000

Jan, 2009

In this time of global economic uncertainty, a top question of Jatropha developers is, "What impact will the current economic crisis have on the Jatropha sector and its prominence as a viable, sustainable biofuel?" To address this critical concern and more, a free 20 January webinar has been scheduled. As a precursor to Jatropha World Asia 2009, this not-to-be-missed webcast will lend crucial answers to hard-hitting inquiries by Jatropha investors.

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Jatropha in Real Time

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:51:00 +0000

From China to Brazil, countries have begun setting aside tens of thousands of acres for the cultivation of jatropha – a plant many experts say is the most promising source for biodiesel. At the same time, companies from Europe and India have begun buying up land throughout Africa to establish jatropha plantations.

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JatrophaTech opens new nursery in Borneo

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:55:00 +0000

These nurseries are designed with the aim of producing up to 20,000 Jatropha saplings per nursery per month. Using advanced technology to create ultra healthy plants, these saplings are typically ready to be transplanted to the ground after only 4 weeks in the nursery. With survival rates of over 99% when transplanted, the nurseries are now proving their worth in several countries. A unique modular design means that Jatrophatech is able to construct facilities that can cope with just about any size of planting requirement.

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Tissue Culture Technique for Multiping Jatropha Production

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:29:00 +0000

Most of the jatropha plantations in India today use seed-generated plants, where it’s difficult to maintain the genetic quality of seeds in subsequent generations.
“By using tissue culture technique, it’s possible to mass multiply superior planting material from a source, irrespective of season, climate or volume,” said Geetaa Singh, executive director of Labland.

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Jatropha Project for Himachal

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:52:00 +0000

Jatropha has been grown on an experimental basis in the low-lying Una and Bilaspur districts. This has encouraged the government to promote its production on a large scale in the lower hills.

Experts say jatropha is a hardy plant, which can also be grown in wastelands. The seeds of the plant are a rich source of eco-friendly oil. It produces more than four times bio-diesel than soyabean and 10 times more than corn.

The trees produce around 1,600 litres of oil per hectare. The demand for bio-diesel is growing by the day due to shrinking reserves of conventional sources of oil across the globe, besides the caused to the environment.
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Comparison of Jatropha Biodiesel with Other Diesel

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:08:00 +0000

Effects of Planting Jatropha

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:04:00 +0000

Biofuels Revolution - Jatropha

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:57:00 +0000

Jatropha curcas is a non-food crop that can grow in wastelands and it is said to yield more than four times as much fuel per hectare as soybean, and more than ten times that of corn. It could be one of the most promising sources of biodiesel. However, a lot of questions have been raised on the sustainability of Jatropha as an alternative energy source for many people around the world. Jatropha defenders use to show just the possible advantages ....

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Jatropha's Various Names

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:40:00 +0000

Punjabi & Gujarati - Is named as Jamalgota and Kalaerand.

Telgu -It called as Nepalamu, Paddanepalamu, Adaveeyamidamu.

Tamil -It is Kadalamanukku, Ratamannukku.

Kannada -It is addressed as Adalubaralu, Bettadaharalu, Marahalu, Karnochchi.

Oriya -Jahanzigaba, Kattavannakka, Kadhalvannakka.

Assamee -Bongalibhotora.

English -It is Physicnut (Jatropha curcas is the botanical name)

Jatropha Seeds Poisoning

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:25:00 +0000

At least 14 schoolboys fell ill after consuming seeds of Jatropha shrubs growing in the premises of Bil Village Primary School, during recess.

The children started showing signs of food poisoning towards the end of school hours, when one class III student started vomiting. When 13 others started showing similar signs, the 108 service was called for help. Children along with their parents and teachers were sent to Sir Sayajirao General Hospital (SSGH).

According to Dr Uma Naik, who is attending to the children at SSGH, the children were given drips and vomiting was controlled immediately. "The teachers, parents and the children said they had consumed seeds of Ratan Jot or Jatropha plant and fallen sick," said Dr Naik.

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Jatropha harmful for kids

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:19:00 +0000

Unfortunately, jatropha seeds are liked by children and cases of accidental feeding have been reported from several countries. In the past few months, hundreds of cases have been reported from different parts of India. In Meerut (in Uttar Pradesh), over 50 children were recently hospitalised due to jatropha poisoning, the scientist said.

The ongoing large-scale jatropha plantation is becoming a curse for rural children. Two of its seeds are like a strong purgative. Four to five seeds can cause death, warned Oudhia, who is also affiliated to the Medicinal Plant Working Group, North America.

Jatropha is considered a wonder plant that produces seeds with an oil content of 37 percent. The oil can be combusted as fuel without being refined. Experts say jatropha is a hardy plant, which can also be grown in wastelands.

Several Indian states have been cultivating jatropha on a mass-scale to extract bio-diesel to replace high cost fossil fuel. Chhattisgarh has planted about 400 million saplings in wastelands over the last couple of years, said S.K. Shukla, executive director of Chhattisgarh Bio-fuel Development Authority.

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Costs in Jatropha Plantation

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:16:00 +0000

Employment Generation and Costs in Jatropha Plantation
(Current currency rate 1US$ = Rs. 47.50)

S.No	Item	Cost (Rs.)		Employment in person days
		Year		Year
		Ist	IInd	Ist	IInd
1	Site preparation i.e. cleaning and levelling of field - 10 Man Days	600		10
2	Alignment and staking, 5 Man Days	300
3	Digging of pits (2500 Nos) of 30 Cm³ size @ 30 pits per Man Day, 50 Man Days	3,000		50
4	Cost of Manure (including transport) 2 Kg. per pits during 1st year (2 MT) 1 Kg. per pit during second year onwards @ Rs. 400/MT	2,000		20
5	Cost of fertilizer @ Rs. 6 per kg (50 gm. Per plant during 1st year and 25 gm from 2nd year onward and 2 Man Days for each application.	870	495	2	1
6	Mixing of Manure, insecticides fertilizers and refilling of pits @100 pits per Man Day 25 Man Days	1,500		25
7	Cost of plants (including carriage) 2500 Nos. during first year and 500 Nos. of plants during second year for replanting @ Rs. 4 per plant.	10,000	2,000	100	20
8	Planting and replanting cost 100 plants per Man Day.- 25 Man Days and 5 Man Days, respectively	1,500	300	25	5
9	Irrigation - 3 irrigation during 1st and one irrigation during 2nd year @ Rs. 500/- per irrigation.	1,500	500	5	2
10	Weeding and soil working 10 Man Days. x 2 times for 2 years	1,200	1,200	20	20
11	Plant protection measure	300		1
Sub total		22,770	4,495	263	48
Contingency (approx. 10% of the above)		2,230	505
Grand Total		25,000	5,000	263	48

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Jatropha Plantations are doing well in India

noreply@blogger.com (Sudha) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:12:00 +0000

Jatropha Plantations are doing well in India due to 4 reasons:

1. India is densely populated country and the Fallow land holding per farmer is 1 to 10 acres. A family of farmer can take care of this size of land very easily, as far as plantation, harvesting as well as security is concerned. The infrastructure of Roads, Housing, Market is already there in Farmer's village. This infrastructure substantially reduces cost, as compared to plantations on barren, vast, unhabited lands.

2. Most of the farming in India is Organic by default. Cow dung is used as manure for Jatropha, and it is the cow dung which has done all the difference in low mortality of saplings, good yield, less pests etc. (In India there are 1 cattle for every 5 persons, 200 million cattle for 1 billion persons)

3. In India, the day to day expenses are quite low and a daily per capita income of US$ 2, in rural areas, is good enough for survival. This makes indian farmer, far more competitive as compared to farmers in developed world.

4. The prices of Petroleum Products in India, are around US$ 1 per liter. If it is less than this, there is no incentive to farmers to grow Jatropha.

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