Taiwan to help Pacific states plant Jatropha tree for biofuel

Taiwan is suggesting its South Pacific allies plant Jatropha trees to help solve energy shortages. Most of the nations currently depend on foreign aid for energy. Jatropha seeds and leaves are poisonous and thereby inedible, but the seeds produce oil that can be processed into high-quality biodiesel. “Jatropha is the recipe for green energy, ” [...]

GM and DOE explore jatropha’s biodiesel future in India

With an official decision on whether or not to re-up the $1 per gallon federal tax credit for biodiesel producers not expected until mid-April, continuing tariffs in the EU and an economy still floundering, it is most definitely safe to say the biodiesel industry has seen brighter days, at least here in the U.S. For [...]

Jatropha biofuels project launched in Indonesia

On the island on Java, Indonesia, London-based investment firm Aston Lloyd will be leasing 10,000 hectares of marginal land that will be used to grow a hybrid of jatropha. With its ability to live without excess amounts of water, the drought-resistant jatropha plant thrives in Indonesia’s climate and the government is aiming to have 1.5 [...]

Bio-Degradable Plastic From Jatropha By-Product Found In India

In a major discovery, the Bhavnagar-based Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute or CSMCRI, has found microbe organism from Indian waters to manufacture bio-degradable plastic, using a by-product of jatropha plant, reports say. Director Pushpito K. Ghosh reportedly said CSMCRI made bio-degradable plastic from a side-stream product of jatropha called “glycerol” found during extracting [...]

East Java Needs 48000 Tons Of Jatropha Seeds Per Month For New Plant

East Java looks to the prospect of becoming the first commercial biofuel producer in Indonesia with a capacity of 1 million liters annually. Such a volume is expected from PT Alegria Indonesia, which is set to complete the construction of a plant in Pasuruan regency this year. The plant, located on 22 hectares of land [...]

D1 Oils Chairman Steps Down

D1 Oils chairman Bryan Myerson has stepped down from the board and been replaced as chairman of the Jatropha-based products developer by non-executive director Barclay Forrest. This is not a big surprise because Myerson’s plan to reverse Principle Energy into D1 was opposed by shareholders owning more than two-fifths of the loss-making company. Recent D1 [...]