Nerdy Science Blog

Air New Zealand hoped to use jatropha oil for 10% of its needs by 2013. Poisonous Central American shrub, Jatropha, was studied by scientists to turn the extracted oil into jet fuel. Tee jatropha oil was significantly cheaper than the skyrocket crude oil. The jatropha oil was estimated $43 per barrel, and there were no side effects of other biofuels (such as deforestation, ethanol production, etc.). The shrub could be grown in difficult environment, as it did not require much water and fertilizer. Jet-engine maker Rolls-Royce will made one of the four engines compatible with jatropha biofuel. Air New Zealand will test flight from fields in southeastern Africa and India.

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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.