February 14, 2008 (Economic Times)- India’s failure to agree a biodiesel policy has forced firms to shelve expansions plans, putting it way behind energy-hungry rivals like China in the drive to greener fuels, a top industry representative said. The delay has also left edible oil processing companies, which have built capacity to turn 1.2 million tonnes of jatropha into biodiesel, in the lurch and $227 million poorer, said Sandeep Chaturvedi, head of the Biodiesel Association of India. Continue reading
Category Archives: Jatropha
KMP doubts advantages of Jatropha
January 20, 2008 (Sun.Star) – The Kilusang magbubukid ng Pilipas (KMP) in Southern Mindanao expressed doubts about the advantages brought by Jathropa planting as well as the Biofuels act that is currently being debated upon.
“Foreign-funded Jathropa plantations are encroaching on agricultural lands and it only adds to the existing laws and policies that cause food deprivation among the poor Filipinos like the 70 percent farmers and farm workers in the country,” Celso Pojas, KMP-SMR spokesperson said in their e-mailed statement.
He said KMP received reports from their members that 300,000 hectares of land in Compostela Valley alone are targeted for Jathropa planting.
Madrid-based firm investing $200M to develop 100,000 hectares of land for Jatropha plantations in the Philippines
December 2, 2007 (Inquirer) – A MADRID-BASED biodiesel firm is planning to invest $200 million in the Philippines to develop at least 100,000 hectares of land into jatropha plantations, the Department of Agriculture said.
The jatropha will be used as feedstock for biofuel facilities in the country.
Mindanao (Philippines) cited as most suitable area for jatropha biodiesel feedstock production
November 29, 2007 (Philippines Information Agency) – In light of the search for alternative fuels due to the skyrocketing prices of oil products, Mindanao has been eyed as the most suitable area for biodiesel feedstock production.In his speech before the Mindanao Communicators Network on the topic “Prospects of Biofuels in Mindanao,” PNOC Alternative Fuels Corporation chairman Renato S. Velasco explained the importance of biofuels and its advantages, the global demand for biodiesel and the global supply of biodiesel, and the significance of jatropha as a source of biodiesel feedstock in the country.
In explaining jatropha in the Philippines, Velasco stressed that the country is ideal for jatropha cultivation.
Jatropha to provide 500,000 jobs in Chhattisgarh, India
Nearly 500,000 people in 8,000 Chhattisgarh villages will soon earn a livelihood from growing jatropha plants, the oil from which is used to produce bio-fuel.
Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has inked a pact with Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (Creda) this week to float a joint venture for jatropha plantations on a wide scale in the next 5-6 years, according to official sources here Wednesday. ‘No less than 500,000 people will get jobs across the state during the next 4-5 years due to these jatropha plantations,’ a senior Creda official told IANS. ‘The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between IOC and Creda Nov 19 here for a joint venture for massive jatropha plantations in the state would produce 300 tonnes of bio-fuel per day in the next 4-5 years.
Australian Jatropha Company Looks to Raise A$10m from IPO
November 14, 2007 (Biofuel Review) – A new Australian company, Jatoil Limited, formed to invest in the global market for biofuels, has announced an initial public offering to raise up to Aus$10 million ahead of its planned listing on the ASX on 12 December. According to the company it will supply rising international demand for biofuels by both growing and selling low-cost biodiesel feedstock overseas. The company’s main business will be the supply of Jatropha oil. It will, it says, develop its Jatropha feedstock supplies with local partners, initially in Asia, to supply the local Asian economies where the feedstock is grown and the European Union.
India’s Largest Cement Maker Outlines Plans for Biodiesel Production via Jatropha Plantations
November 13, 2007 (Business Standard) – With crude oil prices at historical highs coupled with rising costs of coal, domestic cement companies are looking at alternate sources of energy for their upcoming captive power plants (CCP).
Since cement manufacturing is a highly energy intensive process and dependence on captive power is fast rising, analysts believe such initiatives will help cap the increasing input costs.
ACC, the country’s largest cement maker, has outlined plans for biodiesel production through a drive for jatropha plantations. “We will plant 5 million jatropha saplings by 2009 in a phased manner, in and around our cement plants,” said Ramesh Kumar Suri, head, Alternate Fuel Resources (AFR) business of ACC.
Mission Biofuels to Increase Stake in India
November 12, 2007 (RWE via COMTEX) – Mission Biofuels (ASX:MBT) through its Mauritian subsidiary, Mission Agro Energy, will acquire a further stake in Mission Biofuels India. The acquisition of the shares of Indian Agribusiness Systems will increase the stake to 90 per cent from 70pc.
This is the company that Mission is using to develop its upstream feedstock business in the production and procurement of Jatropha seeds and oil.
The acquisition is subject to Indian authorities approval. It is expected to positively contribute to earnings in FY08.
D1 Oils plans to cultivate one million hectares of jatropha globally
November 11, 2007 (Hindu Business Line) – The UK-based global biodiesel producer D1 Oils plc — the world’s largest commercial jatropha cultivator — is targeting around 3.5 lakh hectares of jatropha plantations across India during the next four years, besides plans to invest in the setting up of downstream extraction units and necessary supply chain services in the country.
British Petroleum pact
The company, which recently entered into a partnership with British Petroleum, expects to start producing up to 1,000 tonnes of crude jatropha oil in the country by as early as next year, the CEO of D1 Oils India Pvt Ltd, Mr Samiran Das, told Business Line.
McLeod Russel acquires 55,000 hectares of land in East India to plant Jatropha
November 2, 2007 (Hindu Business Line) – McLeod Russel, the world’s largest producer of tea, has diversified into bio-fuel in partnership with D1 of the UK and is making progress. About 55,000 hectares has been acquired in Jharkhand and North-east for jatropha plantation under contract farming and there was a proposal to acquire lands in Orissa also. “We have written to the West Bengal Government expressing our desire to undertake jatropha plantation in the State but we’re still awaiting a reply,” he said. The first refinery would be set up in the North-east next year. “Our plan is to grow jatropha over 200,000 hectares and produce bio-fuels and the estimated investment would be between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000 crore,” he said.
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