Besides processing into biodiesel, Jatropha oil also has proven itself to be a viable source of fuel for power generation and heating applications.

In fact, many of the delegates we met at JatrophaWorld Jakarta and Miami had many examples to share about small scale Jatropha power generation plants for rural electrification projects in India & Africa.

Jatropha Oil for Small Scale Power Generation Projects

Many NGOs have Jatropha projects involving some of the poorest villages in Asia and Africa, and getting these poor farmers to plant Jatropha. With this, the village can become entirely energy self sufficient due to the multiple applications of Jatropha oil and by products.

One small scale Jatropha based power project we’ve heard of is the one being run by Winrock International in the Kabir Dham district in Chattisgarh, INDIA, which is already providing 24-hour power supply at the very affordable price of 50 cents per light bulb to poor villagers.

The 17.5 KW capacity power plant, which runs on raw oil produced from jatropha seeds, has been supplying electricity to the villagers since it became operational in April last year. Over 106 households in the area, which previously had no access to electricity, have already been ‘illuminated’ by this innovative power generation project.

The project in Chattisgarh represents Jatropha’s very critical role in rural development, and there other such projects scattered all over Asia & Africa in the Jatropha growing regions. Due to these initiatives, many of the worlds’ poorest will have the chance to get access to electricity for the first time in their life!

Is it Feasible to Use Crude Jatropha Oil for Large-Scale Power Generation?

Belgiuan sustainable energy developer Thenergo seems to think so. Thenergo have commissioned Wartsila to build the world’s first combined heat and power (CHP) plant that will run on jatropha oil.

The project, named Greenpower, is situated in the agricultural area Merksplas (Belgium) and is expected to become operational in February 2009. The plant will generate 6MWth of heat for two industrial partners, and 9MWe of electricity for the equivalent of 20,000 households.

The use of Jatropha oil in power generation and as heating fuel brings the industry a step towards the widespread commercialization of Jatropha, one of the very few ‘Biofuels’ that does not compete with food crops.

According to Wartsila spokesperson Ronald Westerdijk, “Jatropha oil is a liquid biofuel that has great potential since jatropha can also be harvested outside the world’s rainforest areas, even near deserts.”

Using Pure Jatropha Oil in Diesel Engines

Pure Jatropha Oil can be successfully used as a diesel replacement in stationary engines such as water pumps, as well as modified diesel engines for transportation including tractors and vehicles.

There are certain types of diesel engines that require only the addition of a fuel filter to run on pure Jatropha oil, thus eliminating the need of the more expensive blended biodiesel option.

In addition to this, Pure Jatropha Oil also performs better as a fuel due to its higher oxygen content, and has lubricating qualities.

The use of pure Jatropha oil as a transportation fuel makes it more affordable and viable, not to mention environmentally friendly than blended biodiesel.

Other Uses for Jatropha Oil

As a tool for rural development, Jatropha oil does play an important role in generating income and increasing the overall quality of life for communities involved in Jatropha cultivation.

In fact, one of the most critical uses for Jatropha oil is in cooking!

To people grappling with poverty, the price of kerosene or cooking fuel might be prohibitive. The availability of Jatropha Oil in this respect becomes a viable alternative to kerosene
Bosch & Siemens Home Appliances Group (BSH) has recently developed a stove “Protos”, which can successfully burn Kerosene and Jatropha Oil as fuel. In fact, BSH is pushing for the use of Jatropha oil, which is significantly cheaper and environmentally friendly.

More critically, a stove operated on Jatropha oil offers a much safer cooking environment because Jatropha oil is not very flammable and it cannot explode, two of the major concerns regarding kerosene. In rural communities where building materials are often plant based and highly flammable, a safe cooking environment is critical.

Additionally, the more efficient burning of Jatropha oil means that cooking time will be significantly less for the Jatropha stove, thus saving on valuable cooking fuel.

Jatropha’s Capacities in Power Generation, Diesel Engines, Heating and Cooking Covered at JatrophaWorld Hamburg 2008.

With Jatropha rising to meet the electricity demands of the developing and the developed world, this application of Jatropha has tremendous potential to become a major revenue generator for Jatropha producers and project developers.

And at JatrophaWorld Hamburg 2008, we’re committed towards informing the community about Jatropha’s tremendous potential as a sustainable and environmentally friendly source of Biofuel.

That’s why we are proud to announce Wartsila as one of the newest additions to our panel of experts. Speaking on their CHP project, Wartsila will be sharing insights on alternative uses for Jatropha oil for heating and power generation.

We are also happy to share that Bosch & Siemens Home Applicances Group (BSH) is on our panel sharing more information on their revolutionary Jatropha oil cooking stove.

You can also hear from Cleanstar Ventures, a Jatropha project developer, on their first hand experience with using Pure Jatropha Oil in diesel engines and micro generators.

So what are you waiting for? Register for JatrophaWorld Hamburg 2008 today by clicking on the "REGISTER" tab at the top of this page.

We look forward to meeting you in Hamburg in October.

Jatropha Curcas and its derivates including Jatropha biodiesel have come under intense media scrutiny due to their potential to form part of the solution for the world’s energy crisis. There is more than enough reason to be enthusiastic about Jatropha’s potential as a biodiesel feedstock.

However, Jatropha’s commercial viability still remains in question, as there are still many inherent problems associated with Jatropha’s agronomy, Jatropha seeds, Jatropha oil, and Jatropha oil extraction and processing, for which research is still ongoing.

The success of Jatropha hinges upon a greater understanding of the plant, and these challenges so as to meet them and develop practices to counter them.

Amongst the challenges to the commercial viability of Jatropha are issues surrounding Jatropha cultivation. Jatropha has been proven to grow abundantly in the wild, but it has never been properly “domesticated”. What do we mean by this?

Jatropha yields are not predictable. Claims of yields exceeding 15 tons a hectare and more modest claims of 2 tons a hectare can leave the investor confused over the real figures.

There is also a lack of a proper definition on the ideal conditions suited for the growth of Jatropha. With claims that Jatropha can grow in a desert, in cool climes and in degraded land, there is a need for more awareness of research being done into the agronomy of Jatropha to determine the ideal climatic conditions to ensure maximum returns.

In addition to this, the potential environmental impacts of large-scale Jatropha cultivation are not properly understood at all; with more developing countries implementing Jatropha cultivation as a solution to rural poverty, the need to understand Jatropha’s long term impact on the environment is critical to ensure sustainable development.

There is also a critical need to define sustainable Jatropha cultivation practices, so as to ensure that there is no exploitation of good land and resources to plant this energy crop at the expense of food crops.

A lack of understanding and knowledge of the nature of Jatropha, coupled by a premature push to cultivate Jatropha might result in unproductive agriculture, and the tremendous potential of Jatropha might remain unfulfilled.

In addition to this, there are other challenges to Jatropha’s commercial viability, including challenges of storing and processing Jatropha. As Jatropha oil is highly acidic, it has the tendency to degrade quickly if not handled properly through the supply chain. The degradation of the oil will reduce its commercial value considerably, and increase the cost of processing it. Similarly, Jatropha seeds also have the problem of degrading if not carefully stored and handled from the moment they are picked.

There is already considerable research being done and practices being developed to counter the challenges of cultivation, storage and processing of Jatropha, all of which will be shared at the upcoming JATROPHAWORLD HAMBURG 2008.

JATROPHAWORLD HAMBURG 2008 is the conference that everyone who is thinking about investing in Jatropha, who have already invested in Jatropha and who are currently involved with Jatropha projects right now must attend!

It makes sense that a Jatropha entrepreneur should focus on the building up relationships with experts in the field, who can provide them with the latest updates on Agronomy findings, as well as other strategic development strategies for the Jatropha cultivation and Biodiesel manufacturing ambitions.

This is why anyone with a vested interest in Jatropha should be at JATROPHAWORLD HAMBURG 2008!
 

Evaluate for yourself, the commercial potential of Jatropha, and find out new technological developments and findings, which will soon make these challenges a thing of the past. Interact with your fellow Jatro-entrepreneurs and gain insights from the top practitioners in the business.

Confirm your participation today by clicking on the “REGISTER” tab at the top of the page and filling in and submitting the electronic form.

Jatropha cultivation is being embraced as a tool for poverty alleviation in some of the poorest regions across the world, with studies being done into the use of Jatropha oil and Jatropha biodiesel for rural electrification, transport, and for stationary engines for shaft power (like multi-functional platforms).

According to the United Nations, almost half of the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day. In the mean time, the developed and developing world’s energy needs have been expanding exponentially. The high cost and inaccessibility of fossil fuels, leaves approximately 2 billion people worldwide without reliable energy sources, without refrigeration, basic communication, heat, or even light.

Statistics show that two-thirds of the population in the developing world, where poverty is at its peak, derives their incomes from agriculture.

Put in this context, theoretically, Jatropha has enormous potential to change their situation for the better.

There are many who believe that the cycle of poverty can be broken by Jatropha cultivation, as this dedicated crop has a huge potential for replication world -wide, with the potential for improving the livelihood of many more of the world’s poorest.

At the community level, it is argued that farmers who produce dedicated energy crops can increase their incomes and grow their own supply of affordable and reliable energy for their own internal needs.

At the national level, cultivating biofuel crops will generate new industries, new technologies, new jobs and new markets.

At the same time, producing more biofuels will reduce energy expenditures and allow developing countries to put more of their resources into health, education and other services for their neediest citizens.

But this is all a very pretty picture that is still in the process of being realized.

So, can Jatropha really end poverty?

With dedicated poverty reduction programs organized by governments and NGOs and Social Entrepreneurship organizations like GEXSI, the easy cultivability of Jatropha and increasing demand for Biodiesel, it seems that Jatropha can indeed be a viable solution to improve the standard of living of the world’s poorest.

However, this still remains an issue of debate, with detractors pointing out exploitation of cheap labor for Jatropha cultivation. In addition to this, fears remain over the use of valuable land water resources to ensure optimum yields from the Jatropha tree; resources that can be better spent on growing food.

If one scans the investments into Jatropha today, it is still large-scale commercial cultivation focused, but there is an increasingly strong case being made for the sustainability of a responsible and well managed collective Jatropha cultivation project.

Discussion about the socio-economic impact on Jatropha will be on the agenda at JATROPHAWORLD HAMBURG 2008, a conference which brings together on a single platform, the best expertise to discuss and analyze the present and future dynamics of JATROPHA from a socio-entrepreneurial angle.

At JATROPHAWORLD HAMBURG 2008, you will be able to engage our panel of experts in active debate and discussion about Jatropha’s potential to alleviate poverty, and weigh both the positive and negative impacts of widespread Jatropha Cultivation, as well as define the best way to adopt a Jatropha project for poverty alleviation.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be a part of this authoritative summit on Jatropha.