Why Jatropha??
Green Gold called Jatropha
"With the shortage of petroleum crude oil and spiralling prices, the wonder plant producing bio-fuel in abundance is the future of mankind." (The Examiner)
At least 80 species of plants and trees are known to produce oil from seedsEven though there are plenty of varieties of tree borne oil seeds, Jatropha Curcas shrubs are found to be an ultimate potential plant, this is why it was called THE DIESEL PLANT. Our special varieties have significantly higher yield than any other feedstock.
- Jatropha Curcas is resistant to drought and can be planted even in the desert climates, and it thrives on any type of soil, grows almost anywhere; in sandy, gravelly and saline soils.
- Jatropha needs minimal input or management. Jatropha has relatively few pests and it is not eatedd by cattle or sheep.
- Jatropha Curcas can survive long periods of drought.
- Jatropha propagation is easy. Jatropha Curcas growth is rapid; forms a thick live hedge after only a few month's planting.
- Jatropha Curcas starts yielding from the first year onwards and continues for 40 years. The Meal after extraction an excellent organic manure (38%Protien N:P:K ration 2.7:1.2:1).
- Jatropha Curcas quickly establishes itself and will produce seeds round the year if irrigated. Other than extracting biodiesel from Jatropha Curcas plant, the leaf and the bark are used for various other industrial and pharmaceutical uses. Localized production and availability of quality fuel restoration of degraded land over a period of time. Approximately 35 to 38 % of oil extracted from the Jatropha Curcas seed..
Social & Economic Benefits of Jatropha
In addition to the obvious benefits of biodiesel production from Jatropha, including carbon emissions reduction from afforestation and reduced emissions from vehicles, Jatropha curcas has special properties that make it even more beneficial to both the global community and local farmers and economies:
- Not a Food Crop Because jatropha is not a food crop, growing it as a source of energy puts no pressure on the worlds food supply.
- Grows on Previously Unusable Land Because jatropha can be planted and grown on the most marginal of soils, it does not compete with food crops and actually makes use of land that was not previously commercially viable.
- Drought Resistant Because jatropha likes heat and requires very little rainfall to flourish, making it drought-resistant, it puts no demand on local water sources and can still provide a source of income when other cash crops are affected by any kind of drought.
- Protection for Cash Food Crops Because animals do not eat or destroy jatropha hedges, they are used throughout Africa as living fences, protecting cash food crops and often serving to provide dual income sources for local farmers.
- Protection Against Soil Erosion Jatropha is an excellent tool against wind and water erosion of the soil, which helps to stabilize and protect the land.
- Poverty Reduction and Promotion of Poor Farmers Because cash food crops are protected and previously unusable land is now able to be transformed into a commercially viable crop, local farmers, are able to generate a sustainable source of income for themselves, their families and their communities.Jatropha Curcas plantations can be located in low lands areas of the green areas to the right.
- Jatropha products are oil, press-cake and the sediment of oil purification. The oil can be used as fuel in pre-combustion chamber diesel engines and as lubrificant, the oil and the sediment can be used for soap production and the press cake is a good organic fertilizer. The oil contains also an insecticide.
WHY BIODIESEL FROM JATROPHA WILL BE NUMBER ONE
Jatropha as Biodiesel Jatropha seeds contain an oil that can be blended with conventional gasoline or diesel to make biodiesel. Its benefits as biodiesel are myriad:
* Low-Emission Fuel Because jatropha contains no sulfur, it is a clean, low-emission fuel.
* Better than Diesel At the same power output, jatropha oil consumption and efficiencies are higher than diesel fuel (1990-1996 University of Orleans study).
* Better than Gasoline At maximal load conditions, jatropha gives better results than gasoline because of its high oxygen content.
* Better than Other Vegetable Oils Tests show that out of various vegetable oils including copra, palm, groundnut, cottonseed, rapeseed, soy and sunflower the lowest exhaust gas emissions were obtained with copra and jatropha crude oils.
* Lower Cost of Production Jatropha has a lower cost of production than many other oils because its chemical make-up is so close to diesel. The energy needed to produce jatropha oil is less than 10 percent of the oil obtained. Because jatropha can be produced inexpensively, it can be sold at prices lower than gasoline. Many industry experts predict that in the next 10 years jatropha will become the major biodiesel oil feedstock other than soybeans and canola (rapeseed).
