(http://www.csmonitor.com/)
from the May 08, 2007 edition -
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0508/p01s03-wosc.html
Former weed may fill world's fuel tanks
In the world's most arid agricultural environments, jatropha is emerging as
an alternative to ethanol.
By _Mark Sappenfield_
(http://www.csmonitor.com/cgi-bin/encryptmail.pl?ID=CDE1F2EBA0D3E1F0F0E5EEE6E9E5ECE4&url=/2007/0508/p01s03-wosc.html)
| Staff
writer of The Christian Science Monitor
JAGDALPUR, INDIA
In an overgrown corner of Moolchand Sethia's plantation, runty and unloved,
stands what could be the next revolution in the world's search for renewable
fuel.
From China to Brazil, countries have begun setting aside tens of thousands
of acres for the cultivation of jatropha – a plant many experts say is the
most promising source for biodiesel. At the same time, companies from Europe
and
India have begun buying up land throughout Africa to establish jatropha
plantations.
As American farmers plan to plant the most corn since World War II to cash
in on ethanol, which is added to gasoline, much of the rest of the world is
turning to jatropha, which is used as a substitute for diesel fuel.
The two are not competitors, since neither can be used in the other type of
fuel. But jatropha is fast emerging as a candidate for the ideal biofuel. It
is grown in wastelands, needs relatively little care or refinement, and is
inedible – meaning it will not take food from the poor for the gas tanks of
the
rich.
But Mr. Sethia's modest plantation is a reminder that jatropha has a long
way to go. Although Sethia's home state of Chhattisgarh has been one of
India's
leading jatropha promoters, industries say it could be years before they
begin production here. Until then, Sethia laments, the $1,500 he has invested
in
jatropha has been wasted.
Globally, experts worry that the story could be similar. Lured by jatropha's
potential, nations and corporations have acted rashly, coming to the "idea
that it is the final answer for many problems," says Kees Daey Ouwens of Fuels
from Agriculture in Communal Technology (FACT) in Eindhoven, The
Netherlands.
It could be. But it is too early to tell. "Jatropha is very promising," he
says. "But there is not enough information … to start on such large scales."
There is no estimate as to how much jatropha is being cultivated globally,
but anecdotal evidence suggests that the trend is accelerating:
• The government-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) is planning
to have 80,000 acres of jatropha in Sichuan Province alone by 2010.
• Renova Biodiesel of Brazil is expected to plant 60,000 acres of jatropha,
and reports suggest that other oil companies are considering planting nearly
500,000 acres in the next four years.
• D1 Oils, a British company that is considered by many to be the leader in
jatropha cultivation, has plantations from Swaziland to Indonesia, and hopes
to nearly double its 385,000 acres of jatropha worldwide by the end of 2008.
• The Philippine National Oil Co. recently earmarked $14 million for
jatropha planting and production, while Indonesia plans to set up 52 biodiesel
plants across the country at a cost of $7.3 million.
The cause of the excitement is both environmental and economic. The European
Union has mandated that by 2020 all cars must run on 20 percent biodiesel,
which burns cleaner than fossil fuels. A 1998 study, jointly sponsored by the
US Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture, concluded that
biodiesel reduces net carbon-dioxide emissions by 78 percent compared with
petroleum diesel.
Meanwhile, Asian economies are desperately seeking natural resources to
support their growth. India, for example, imports 70 percent of its fuel, and
its
planning commission has prioritized the study of domestically grown biofuels
in an attempt to become more self-sufficient.
Jatropha is a natural answer. The leafy bush thrives in arid regions around
the equator, has no use as food, and takes little refinement: a hydraulic
press to squeeze the oil from the seeds, and a chemical solution to create and
filter the fuel. When the necessary infrastructure is in place – sufficient
farms, transport routes, and processing plants – jatropha oil could be no more
expensive than regular diesel.
"In 10 years, the production prices will not be much different," says Mr.
Daey Ouwens.
Along with several other states, Chhattisgarh has responded with massive
planting campaigns and incentives for farmers, including 500 free saplings.
Sethia received a $250 loan for planting jatropha, as well as a commendation
from
the state. The problem is, there's no market here in the Indian outback.
The state says it will buy the seeds, which then must be crushed to create
the oil. But Sethia says he would need to take his harvest to the capital,
which is a half-day drive, at least. The cost of getting them there would
outstrip any possible profit.
Then there's the fact that jatropha needs more care than he had anticipated.
He has let most of his crop fend for itself. After two years, the plants are
knobby fingers less than a foot tall. A few plants, however, he planted in a
ruddy dirt embankment near a seasonal pond and tended regularly. Their leafy
branches arch higher than Sethia himself and are already yielding seeds.
Right now, he says, the economics don't work. "But if there is a
[processing] plant nearby, farmers will grow it, because there is the
assurance that
they will be able to sell it," he says. As it is, he knows of only one other
person in the district growing jatropha.
For their part, oil industries are interested in building processing plants.
But it will be several years before there is a critical mass in Chhattisgarh
– about 50,000 acres – to justify the costs. "That has to come up," says B.
B. Choudhary of Indian Oil. "It has not yet."
Yet there is also a danger in industries pushing too fast, experts say.
Jatropha cultivation is so new that scientists know little about it, such as
ideal conditions for growth, susceptibility to disease, or expected yields per
acre. Some critics even suggest that toxic strains of the plant can cause
health problems for workers.
The Energy and Resources Institute in Delhi has set up plantations across
India to study these issues for British Petroleum. In four years, all these
knowledge gaps will be filled in, argues Alok Adholeya, who manages the
program.
He advises farmers like Sethia to remain patient: "If they are patient
enough, they will find some buyers very soon, because the message is getting
out."
_Full HTML version of this story which may include photos, graphics, and
related links_ (http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0508/p01s03-wosc.html)
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