PrairieFire BioFuels

June Newsletter

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Jatropha – Food-Free Fuel

by Carolann Puster

 

Have you heard about Jatropha?  Jatropha curcas may be one of the best candidates in the world for biofuels feed stock.  It is hardy, drought- and pest-resistant, and able to grow on marginal lands or wastelands.  This perennial can grow in nearly 100 countries around the world, with climates varying from arid to tropical to temperate.  In India alone, nearly 3 million hectares of wasteland will be converted to Jatropha plantations in the next 3 years.  Studies are on-going to determine the best couple-crops to plant in tandem with Jatropha.  The Center for Jatropha Promotion is searching for the best partners for this fuel crop to provide its fertilizer needs, maintain or enrich nutrients in soil, and not compete for water.

 

The seeds of this plant yield high amounts of oil – on average 35% of seed content is oil.  Yield per hectare of Jatropha is ~ 25,000 gallons.  This is up to 8 times the yield of soy!  And, Jatropha is cheaper to grow and process (because it is NOT a food source, and can be grown on wastelands), so it costs less than 50% of soya oil per barrel. 

 

In January, 2009, a Boeing 737 took a 2-hour test flight around Houston with one engine running on a B50 blend.  A synthetic fuel was made with Jatropha (and a smidge of algae) then added to petroleum-based jet fuel.  The bioblend has characteristics that out-perform petroleum-based jet fuel; it does not freeze at high-altitude temperatures, delivers the same or more power to the engines, and is lighter, as well.  Air New Zealand and Japan Air are also testing 50:50 blends using Jatropha oil this year.

 

For more information about Jatropha, and biofuels in aircrafts, check out these sites:

 

http://www.jatrophabiodiesel.org

http://www.oilgae.com/blog/2009/01/continental-flight-takes-off-on-algae.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatropha_oil