Tropical plant to develop ‘concept of fair-trade fuel’
A UK technology group has signed agreement with an Indian sustainable energy company to ‘develop concept of fair-trade
fuels’.
The Oxfordshire based technology company, Regenatec, signed an agreement to begin cultivating jatropha, a tropical plant found mainly in Africa and Asia.
Mike Lawton, owner of Regenatec, believes the development of jatropha will revolution the energy industry, “We want to develop the concept of fair-trade fuels. Just as we grow crops overseas like coffee and bring to the UK. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be doing this with oil plants.”
Global biodiesel manufacturers have also begun joint projects with other companies to begin to step up the development of jatropha.
BP has also announced its joint venture with D1 Oils to invest around $160 million over the next five years.
In a statement released by the global energy company they stated, “The joint venture is expected to become the world’s largest commercial producer of jatropha feedstock, producing up to 2 million tonnes of jatropha oil a year.”
The oil yield per hectare is 3 to 4 times more than rape seed, which is currently being used to produce biodiesel fuels by global energy groups such as BP and Shell.
India governments have already identified 98 million acres of land where jatropha can be grown.
They hope it will replace 20 percent of diesel consumption by the year 2011.
Plant may develop 'fair-trade 
fuel concept'- A UK technology group has signed agreement with an Indian sustainable energy company to ‘develop concept of fair-trade fuels’...[continue]
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