Jatropha Bio Diesel
Source: Pakistan Science ClubJATROPHA CURCAS is an oil bearing tree that can be cultivated in semi-arid regions on marginal soils; it is suited for the rehabilitation of waste lands. The Jatropha tree yields a non-edible oil which can be used to fuel vehicles, diesel generators, lamps or cooking stoves without a transesterification into biodiesel, enhancing local economic development. The Jatropha oil is a substitute for fossil fuels and eligible for carbon offset schemes. The Jatropha seeds do not have to be processed immediately (unlike palm) which allows to integrate smallholder farmers in remote regions. Jatropha can be cultivated as a hedge around fields or on unused land and offers smallholders an opportunity to create additional revenues, beyond subsistence farming.
Jatropha is cultivated in many countries and its oil is used produce bio-diesel to combat the increasing prices of petroleum. The Jatropha trees take 4 to 5 years to mature fully. At that time, if Jatropha Plantation is rain fed, these plants can yield 0.35 to 0.375 gallon of oil per tree or 375 gallons per hectare or 150 gallons per acre. If it is irrigated (3 to 5 litres per plant every 15 days) it can be double this amount. Water footprint of 1 litre of Jatropha oil is 1,400 litres.
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) has taken up this project keeping in view the current energy crisis in Pakistan. Some of the best brains in the world are working at NUST on Jatropha project. NUST has initiated this break through project which is spearheaded by their commercialization wing, Science & Technology Ventures (S T Ventures).
For this a model farm of 20 acres has been setup at NUST H-12 campus. An MoU has been signed with the Engineering Centre, Risalpur, Pakistan Army for Jatropha cultivation at Risalpur Cantonment and subsequent consultancy for conversion to biodiesel and replicate the same model in all the cantonments. STV is also working with ASF to create awareness amongst farmers to take up Jatropha farming.
Three of NUST schools; School of Chemical and Material Engineering (SCME), School Of Material and Manufacturing (SMME) and NUST College of Virology and Immunology (NCVI) are part of pioneering research on the same subject. They have experts who are able to establish Jatropha nurseries to help with Jatropha farming and also facilitate the conversion processes and techniques. Within 2 years they would be able to manufacture on industrial scale an indigenous continuous production Jatropha conversion plant.
As this hardy crop can be grown on a wide range of land types, it can make a significant impact on employment in rural areas of developing countries where planting takes place, a benefit which fits well with NUST’s aspiration to pursue R & D projects which have a positive impact on the society at large.
The importance of Jatropha plant increased during 2007-08 when high prices of petroleum were increased manifold and developing countries started its cultivation to maintain the pace of their economic progress. Its cultivation is successful in arid areas and Sindh, Balochistan and many areas of NWFP and Punjab are an ideal place for this purpose.
Currently the oil from Jatropha curcas seeds is used as bio-diesel in Philippines and Brazil, where it grows naturally. Likewise, Jatropha oil is being promoted as an easily grown bio-fuel crop in hundreds of projects in India and other developing countries.
Jatropha oil is significantly cheaper than crude oil. Now we look at production of seeds and oil. From the experience in various countries, a plant density of 1,100 per hectare (spacing of 3 X 3 meters) has been found to be optimal, although in rain fed areas on poor soils a lower plant density of 1,666 has been felt to be more desirable. In such plantations Jatropha gives about 2 kgs of seed per tree. In relatively poor desert soils, the yields have been reported to be 1 kg per plant. The seed production in plantations varies between 2.5 tons / hectare and 5 tons / hectare, depending upon whether the soils are poor or average. Some people claim that you can get 12 tons per hectare. This is not possible as 2 meters tall Jatropha plant can not bear more than 1 kg of seeds per season initially. This level of production may be possible from a 10 year old Jatropha plant.
If planted in hedges, the reported productivity of Jatropha is from 0.8 kg. to 1.0 kg. of seed per meter of live fence. Assuming a square plot, a fence around it will have a length of 400 sq. meters and a production of 0.4 MT of seed. A hedge along one hectare will be equal to 0.1 hectare of block plantation. The seed production is around 3.5 tons / hectare / annum.
Oil content varies from 28% to 30% and 94% extraction, one hectare of plantation will give 1.6 MT of oil if the soil is average and 0.75 MT if the soil is lateritic. One hectare of plantation on average soil will on an average give 1.6 Metric Tons of oil. Plantation per hectare on poorer soils will give 0.9 MT of oil.
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