Jatropha is also a low-maintenance crop that’s hardy and capable of growing in even arid soil. That makes it the ideal choice for developing countries. "Jatropha is low input," Steve Douty, executive director of Dl Oils, was recently quoted as saying. "It survives where others don't. It also grows best 25 degrees south or north of the equator. A big chunk of Africa is in that band."
The plant has a rich history. It was introduced to Africa and Asia by Portuguese traders and used as a hedge to protect crops and the sap has long been used in Latin American medicines for its antibacterial qualities. The seed is used for fertilizer in Africa because it is rich in soil nutrients, and the oil is used for French soaps.
Its main attraction now of course is that its seeds can be crushed and processed, not only into oil, which can be used in a standard diesel engine, but the residue too can be processed into biomass to power electricity plants.
The bottom-line here, as The Wall Street Journal pointed out recently, is Jatropha may be a more economic biofuel than corn-based ethanol.
Citing research from Goldman Sachs, jatropha could be used to produce a barrel of fuel for around $43, less than the cost of sugar cane-based ethanol ($45 per barrel) or corn-based ethanol ($83 per barrel) currently favored in the United States.
This has caught the attention of oil giant BP. The company signed a $160 million deal with British biodiesel producer Dl Oils, creating a joint venture that aims to become the world's top producer of jatropha oil by 2011. Wall Street is also singing the tough plant’s praises. Goldman Sachs has touted jatropha as one of the top candidates for future biodiesel production.
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
AI
