Nerdy Science Blog

Energy Current (8/5/2008):

Mission also intends to begin producing biodiesel from jatropha seeds next year. The biodiesel producer has contracted 200,000 acres (80,937 hectares) of farmland in Malaysia to grow jatropha and expects to expand the land area to increase to 750,000 acres (303,514 hectares) by the end of 2008. The total land area is expected to increase to 1.5 million acres (607,000 hectares) in 2009 and 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) in 2010.

Bernama (5/5/2008):

KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 (Bernama) — Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to cooperate in development of the jatropha industry under the ambit of renewable energy, the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry said Monday.

The cooperation will cover research and development (R&D) activities related to agronomic practices, breeding of quality seeds and processing technologies, the ministry said in a statement.

Bernama (14/5/2008):

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 (Bernama) — The government is looking at the possibility of using jatropha oil as a raw material for the production of biodiesel in the future, Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said.

However, this is still at the research and development stage and it has not reached the commercialisation stage yet, he said.

The current use of palm oil and other vegetable oils as fuel has raised differing views as well as competition on their use as fuel or food sources, he said.

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Jatropha is not palm tree, which is largely planted in Malaysia for palm oil extraction. Jatropha is a poisonous Central American shrub. Its seeds are used to extract biodiesel fuel in Philippines, India, and China.

On Tuesday, crude oil broke the record surpassing $97 a barrel. Malaysia has been subsidizing the fuel costs. The increase of fuel price had been a big burden for Malaysia. In September, Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (Mardi) announced it is studying the possibilities to cultivate Jatropha at large-scale to produce bio-diesel. Jatropha is chosen because of its characteristic of pest resistance, long lifespan (40 years), can be grown on poor, arid soil, and also able to produce bio-diesel that can be used by vehicles. As a solution for alternative fuel, Malaysia government had fund this research for RM300mil (~USD100mil).

Last month, Sarawak Land Development Minister Datuk Dr James Masing announced that Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) was carrying out joint research on Jatropha with Mardi. Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Sclcra) had been asked by the state to test which species of the plant is suitable to grow in Sarawak. On the other hand, another state in the country, Sabah, also announced that Sabah Land Development Board (SLDB) was testing the potential of Jatropha cultivation.

Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui announced yesterday that Government is giving out 300-acre site to Sabah to plant Jatropha Carcus.

Other uses of Jatropha Curcas are soap production and traditional medicine. The effect of large-scale planting of Jatropha Curcas to the soil and environment is unknown.

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