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Jatropha : Is it really the Biofuel Hope?

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Jatropha came into the limelight in 2007 when Goldman Sachs mentioned jatropha as one of the best crops for biofuel production. At the same time, crude oil price was breaking new high record almost every day, which pressured the world on seeking alternative energy.  The lowly poisonous price suddenly turned into a biofuel darling amongst other biofuels’ sources, such as algae, Pongamia, fungi, coffee grounds, etc.

What is Jatropha plant?

Jatropha curcas plant

Jatropha is a type of flowering plants that is native to the Central America. There are currently approximately 170 species of Jatropha known.  The Jatropha species that is used for biofuel is Jatropha curcas, which is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world.  What is precious from the plant is its golf sized nuts which contain yellowish liquid for the production of biodiesel fuel.

Why is Jatropha chosen for biofuels?

There are several characteristics which make Jatropha curcas the biodiesel crop, especially from environmental concern.  The plant has long lifespan, and highly resistant to drought and pests.  It can be cultivated in almost anywhere in the world with little water or fertilizer, and be productive for up to 30-40 years.  The Jatropha seeds also have high oil yielding rate of 27-40%.  With a small quantity of fertilizer (magnesium, sulphur and calcium), the yield can also be increased.

From socioeconomic concern, planting of Jatropha helps farms of infertile wastelands to generate income without making any scarification on food crops. The residue of the seeds (seedcake) after oil extraction can also be used as fertilizer, animal fodder and energy source for power electricity plants.  Usage of non-food crops for biofuels will not reduce demand of food crops, and Jatropha plants do not compete with food crops for resources (water, fertilizer and fertile lands) which will prevent food prices from increasing.

The Jatropha hype

Despite lack of research on the plant, many countries have rushed into the business of Jatropha curcas.  Countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia with high oil subsidy have suffered from crude oil price surge, have invested in research on large scale Jatropha plant cultivation and biodiesel production.  Malaysia in particular has funded USD100mil in it, and farmers were given free seeds.

Airlines were also keen on exploring the use of Jatropha’s excellent oil quality as jet fuel. Air New Zealand, airplane maker Boeing, engine marker Rolls Royce and biofuel specialist UOP LLC also tested fly Boeing 747-400 with biofuel (50-50 blend of Jatropha oil and standard air jet fuel) for two hours in 2008.

Other commercial values of Jatropha

Unlike palm oil, Jatropha oil is an nonedible vegetable oil because of the poisonous toxalbumin curcin or jatrophin. Even the presence of toxic phorbol esters, which promotes tumour growth, in Jatropha seedcake makes it unsuitable as fertilizer.  Although researchers demonstrated that the toxic will be degraded by soil bacteria when the seedcakes are used as fertilizer and will not be transferred into the plants, detoxification is still required for the seedcake to carry economic values.  A group of Chinese scientists also managed to turn Jatropha oil into edible oil by treating it with ultraviolet irradiation and ethanol washing.

Some farmers are smart enough to leverage on the toxicity of the plant to keep animals from wandering into the farms. The plant has proven itself numerous time by causing adverse effects on animals, including rats.  However the same properties also hurt farmers as the animals (such as goats) raised by the farmers may accidentally consume the poisonous plants.

Jatropha’s broken promises

The famers who have been used as guinea pigs are facing financial losses when they find out Jatropha’s oil output are inconsistent. This has led farmers to provide more water and fertilizer to the plants in order for the plants to yield better, which drives the cost up.  For better yield, some farmers also plant at lands with high water tables and fertile soils, which may cause land shortage for other crops and later leads to potential food shortage.  The weakening crude oil price is not helping as well as it becomes more affordable comparing to Jatropha oil.  As the plant failed to establish its commercial value, some Indian agencies have terminated projects on Jatropha.

References:

  1. The Wall Street Journal – Jatropha Plant Gains Steam in Global Race for Biofuels
  2. The Hitavada – Jatropha project going nowhere
  3. Nakao, M., Hasegawa, G., Yasuhara, T., & Ishihara, Y. (2015). Degradation of jatropha curcas phorbol esters derived from jatropha oil cake and their tumor-promoting activity. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 114, 357-364
  4. Singh, K., Singh, B., Verma, S. K., & Patra, D. D. (2014). Jatropha curcas: A ten year story from hope to despair. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 35, 356-360
  5. Xiao, J., Mao, X., Zhang, H., & Niu, L. (2015). Detoxification of jatropha curcas oil by ultraviolet irradiation combined with ethanol washing. Grasas y Aceites, 66(1), 1-8

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