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.