In Nigeria, the agriculture minister is taking another look at biodiesel following a spike in fossil diesel prices. Farmers continue to face obstacles affording fossil diesel but the hope is that biodiesel produced on farm could help to boost agricultural yields by providing fuel for tractors and other machinery. The ministry plans to first take […]
In Nepal, the government has decided to take another stab at biodiesel, specifically with a focus on giving jatropha another try, with a six-member expert panel establish to determine the viability of the policy plan. With more than half a million acres of underutilized land that could be converted to jatropha production to produce biodiesel, […]
As we begin to prepare for the annual Advanced Bioeconomy Feedstocks & Supply Chain event in Miami this June, you might find yourself asking whatever happened to some of the feedstock darlings like jatropha. If jatropha faltered, never mind, went the argument, we’ll always have switchgrass. Or giant miscanthus, or pongamia, or poplar, or camelina. […]
In Botswana, researchers have refused to give up on demonstrating the viability of jatropha despite suffering from frostbite, heat waves and hailstorms during the past four years. Indigenous plants morula, morama, and mongongo were included in the trials in addition to jatropha. The team of local and Japanese researchers have weathered through the disasters and […]
In Oregon, a federal jury found Jack Holden guilty of 15 crimes related to a jatropha biodiesel swindle and was ordered into custody immediately upon sentencing due to his previous fraud conviction 10 years ago. He faces up to 11 years in prison with sentencing set for Jan. 11. His partner in the scam is […]
In Oregon, the owner of Gold Star Farms—a company based in Ghana allegedly set up to grow jatropha and produce biodiesel—is being tried for fraud after having supposedly swindled more than $1 million from Christian investors in a scheme that federal prosecutors say never intended to actually produce biofuel. The defendant’s attorney says the accused […]
In India, the Chhattisgarh Biofuel Development Authority has already produced 150,000 liters of biodiesel from jatropha oil and is looking to expand production by sourcing the oil from farmers around the region. It has invested in the planting of 15 million saplings throughout the state. The project is among several biomass projects, including biopower that […]
In Ethiopia, the country’s Ministry of Water and Energy has recently launched a biofuels private enterprise unit in hopes of attracting investors to produce 450 million liters of biodiesel in the next five years. The government hopes to revive previous jatropha plantations that investors launched and abandoned during the jatropha boom and bust in hopes […]
Castor, jatropha, pongamia — the three steps that Bosques Energeticos is taking in piloting its way to success in fuels, chemicals and other markets. Can the early-stage company thrive, based on its uncommon approach to intercropping? The Digest investigates. In science, there exists the difficulty in developing a new energy crop — improving yields and stress tolerance, […]
In Jamaica, the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica has teamed with Bodles Agricultural Research Station and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute to test potential the growing of biodiesel feedstocks, with a focus on jatropha and castor and is in talks with Jamaica German Automotive School (JAGAS) and the University of Technology (UTech) for further […]
