Jatropha curcas L.
Biodiesel can be produced from edible oilseed crops such as soybean, rapeseed, sunflower, as well as non-edible oilseeds from locally cultivated plants such as Jatropha (Jatropha curcas), Pongamia (Pongamia pinnata) and Neem (Azadirachta indica).
The choice of feedstock for biodiesel manufacture depends on its local availability, affordability and its impact on food chain. It can be produced from waste vegetable oils, such as those used in cooking, but most commercial refiners currently consume unused oils. Refined soybean oil is the most commonly used material in the United States. Brazil, the world’s second largest producer of soybeans in the world, uses castor oil as its main raw material. Rapeseed oil is preferred in Western Europe, while countries in Southeast Asia utilize abundant palm kernel and palm seed oils. India and China are developing Jatropha plantations, and the use of cottonseed oil is rapidly increasing.
In the background of the food vs. fuel debate Jatropha has today emerged as the most preferred choice of biodiesel feedstock.
Emergence of Jatropha
Contemporary trends across the world indicate a pronounced shift towards Jatropha as a more viable and sustainable feedstock for biodiesel compared to other food based crops such as Palm, Soya etc.
Asia and Africa have now emerged as key investment hotspots for Jatropha. By 2007, a large number of developing countries were leading the development, demonstration and diffusion of the second generation biodiesel fuel from Jatropha. There are more than a dozen developing countries in these regions that have projects either under way or in an advanced planning stage. These are Argentina, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Ghana and Other West African Countries (with aid from Indian Government), India, Indonesia (with FDI from South Korea), Mozambique (FDI from China and Portugal), Myanmar, and the Philippines (FDI from South Korea) ( Ref: F.O. Licht’s World Ethanol and Biofuels Report, 2007)
Value addition in Jatropha processing
Jatropha has several key uses, besides oil production. It yields animal feed, protein by-products, glycerol, etc. Many of these have significant potential.
Advantages of Jatropha
Jatropha has specific advantages as compared to other crops.
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It yields high quality oil (25 to 45% by dry seed weight basis) which is well suited for use in the transport and energy sector
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It grows, among others, in semi-arid regions not suited for oil palms
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It is a non-food crop
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Jatropha seeds do not have to be processed immediately (unlike palm)
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