Interesting comment I found regarding the use of Jatropha as a fuel stock.
What I have not done is the research to back the plant up. I thought it was worth looking at. I am big on life-cycle concepts. Life-cycle business will be sustainable and potentially green. I think it might be the next big business meme.
update: I decided I had to at least do a google search:
Having read this, I am reminded of this thought: we should be cultivating dry climate plants and technologies. Water is next.
Good day,
I don't normally post but I feel compelled to do so now. I'm from Africa and Jatropha is being punted as the 'next big thing'. Fortunately, the cultivation of this crop is banned in South Africa. My observation is that the plant, while it can grow on marginal land, requires water and fertilizer like any other crop. Plans are in motion to use a fair amount of 'good' arable land for Jatropha cultivation. Land that can be used for other more profitable crops. Jatropha is a toxic plant and the toxic press cake left behind can only be used for boiler fuel. The oil is also toxic. What happens if the US or the EU retracts biodiesel subsidies? Germany is already scaling down their support. The poor farmer is left with the costly exercise of having to remove this plantation as there's no other intrinsic value to the plant except for biodiesel production.
My preference is for the Moringa Oleifera tree that has similar yields of oil to Jatropha per hectare, but the oil has similar properties to olive oil and is already being used in the cosmetic industry (Body Shop) for creams and the like. It can also be made into biodiesel although the cold flow plugging point (CFPP) is too high to conform to ASTM or EN specs with first generation biodiesel technology, much like palm oil. Like palm oil, it can also be blended to make on spec biodiesel. However, the UOP 2nd generation technology described above can process 100% of this oil into on-spec fuel. The press cake left below has coagulation properties and can be used for water purification, fertilizer or animal feed. The leaves on a dried basis have +20g per 100g high biological availability protein and can be used for human food or animal fodder.
Bottom line is that moringa is a crop that has greater economic potential to the farmer due to more saleable products (and hence less economic risk) per hectare compared to Jatropha. If the biodiesel industry goes belly up, at least moringa is a tree that can feed his family.
The biodiesel industry's infatuation with Jatropha is likely to cause serious damage to the African continent. I wish that the industry experts would look at other plants that are less likely to leave a poisonous legacy, as a worst case business scenario. Furthermore, I must question the economic merit of Jatropha with respect to the yields and value of oil versus the seed harvesting cost.
What I have not done is the research to back the plant up. I thought it was worth looking at. I am big on life-cycle concepts. Life-cycle business will be sustainable and potentially green. I think it might be the next big business meme.
update: I decided I had to at least do a google search:
Moringa oleifera, commonly referred to simply as Moringa (Tamil murungai, முருங்கை), (Mulakkaya in Telugu), is the most widely cultivated variety of the genus Moringa. It is of the family Moringaceae. It is an exceptionally nutritious vegetable tree with a variety of potential uses. The tree itself is rather slender with drooping branches that grows to approximately 10 m in height; however, it normally is cut back annually to one meter or less, and allowed to regrow, so that pods and leaves remain within arm's reach.
Having read this, I am reminded of this thought: we should be cultivating dry climate plants and technologies. Water is next.
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