Who will be next.?

In a recent overview in Elsevier with the promising title "International experiences with the cultivation of Jatropha curcas for biodiesel production" https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360544216308477 , the writer sums up a total of 22 jatropha disasters. Conclusion of the articele: After examining the global scenarios for the cultivation of J. curcas to produce biodiesel, the review concludes that the plant shows a large potential as an energy source to alleviate in part local environmental (e. g. recovering of waste land), social (e. g. employment demand) and economic (e. g. reduce poverty) problems.

uuuhhh???
follow the link.

About sustainability

And another one.

For more than seven years Diligent Energy systems was active in Tanzania. Diligent bought jatropha oil seeds from local farmers for a fair price and processed these seeds into biofuel. The oil was sold locally to flower farms safari companies and internationally for trials executed, among others, by KLM. The residue seed cake was used as an alternative for charcoal to, among others, safari companies who normally use firewood for their camps. Since the company was not able to become profitable, it was taken over by the DOEN foundation, a Dutch foundation operating with money from various lotteries. (30.000.000 Euro in 2013.)

Mission of the DOEN Foundation:

As driver of people and organizations that take the lead in the field of sustainable, social and cultural renewal DOEN Foundation strives towards a green, social and cultural society. DOEN supports these forerunners and brings them into contact with each other. DOEN Foundation annually supports more than 200 initiatives through grants, equity participations, loans and guarantees. Characteristic of these initiatives is the entrepreneurial approach: it is about people, organizations and companies that dare to take risks, be creative and innovative and thereby effectively contribute to a better and cleaner world. DOen supports initiatives in the field of culture and cohesion and green and social economy.

For unknown reasons DOEN decided to disinvest after a very short while, forcing the company into voluntary bankruptcy. At the very last minute the French based company Eco-Carbone decided to jump in to make Diligent profitable.

Statement of Eco-Carbone:

Eco-Carbone is very active in the new jatropha-based biofuel production market. It invests in several projects worldwide. Eco-Carbone provides technical advice to farmer communities who establish jatropha plantations. Eco-Carbone is both investor and manager of Industrial Joint Ventures, which produce crude oil and co-products of extraction.

Diligent could reach break even in 2014. There was money to buy at least 500 MT of jatropha seeds, there was pressing capacity to produce the oil and all the oil was already sold at forehand.

Unfortunately Eco-Carbone decided to desinvest, causing the end of Diligent Tanzania, leaving hundreds of farmers with unsold jatropha seeds.

Quinvita exit

There goes another one

The Jatropha breeding company Quinvita, (formerly D1) went into bankruptcy by the end of 2013. The breeding site on the Cape Verdian islands was closed down and planting material has been uprooted.

Combining Food and Fuel successfully

Trials with Jatropha curcas in combination with a foodcrop (in this case maize) have been successfully executed on three locations in Tanzania; Moshi, Bukoba and Mbinga.

More info on www.jatropha.pro

D1 continues to consequently dissappoint its farmers. After pulling out from Indonesia they also closed their operations in Zambia, leaving subsistence farmers with a crop they cannot eat and cannot sell

Sun saved?

Sun Biofuels Africa has been split in Sun Mozambique and Sun Tanzania. The new owners of Sun Mozambique are optimistic about the future of the plantation but are still looking for additional funds.
The position of Sun Tanzania is not clear, but after most of the workers have been send home, the farm will rapidly be overtaken by weeds. I keep my fingers crossed.

And there goes another one

Jatropha curcas, once called the miracle plant seems to have made another victim in Tanzania. This time it was Sun biofuels 2000 planted ha's that will return to bush if the new owners do not take very drastic action very fast. The plantation is on the brink to deliver its first substantial harvest, but weeds are already invading the plantation were too closely planted jatropha has to be maintained at high costs.