If you liked this story, share it with other individuals.
Earlier this century, jatropha was hailed as a "wonder" biofuel. A simple shrubby tree belonging to Central America, it was extremely promoted as a high-yielding, feedstock that might grow on abject lands across Latin America, Africa and Asia.
A jatropha rush ensued, with more than 900,000 hectares (2.2 million acres) planted by 2008. But the bubble burst. Low yields caused plantation failures almost everywhere. The consequences of the jatropha crash was polluted by allegations of land grabbing, mismanagement, and overblown carbon reduction claims.
Today, some scientists continue pursuing the evasive guarantee of high-yielding jatropha. A return, they state, depends on breaking the yield issue and resolving the hazardous land-use problems intertwined with its original failure.
The sole staying big jatropha plantation is in Ghana. The plantation owner claims high-yield domesticated ranges have been achieved and a new boom is at hand. But even if this comeback fails, the world's experience of jatropha holds important lessons for any promising up-and-coming biofuel.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Jatropha curcas, an unassuming shrub-like tree native to Central America, was planted throughout the world. The rush to jatropha was driven by its promise as a sustainable source of biofuel that could be grown on degraded, unfertile lands so as not to displace food crops. But inflated claims of high yields failed.
Now, after years of research and development, the sole remaining large plantation focused on growing jatropha is in Ghana. And Singapore-based jOil, which owns that plantation, declares the jatropha return is on.
"All those business that failed, embraced a plug-and-play design of searching for the wild ranges of jatropha. But to advertise it, you need to domesticate it. This belongs of the process that was missed [during the boom]," jOil CEO Vasanth Subramanian informed Mongabay in an interview.
Having discovered from the errors of jatropha's previous failures, he states the oily plant could yet play a key role as a liquid biofuel feedstock, reducing transport carbon emissions at the global level. A brand-new boom might bring extra advantages, with jatropha also a prospective source of fertilizers and even bioplastics.
But some researchers are doubtful, keeping in mind that jatropha has actually already gone through one hype-and-fizzle cycle. They caution that if the plant is to reach full potential, then it is necessary to gain from previous errors. During the very first boom, jatropha plantations were obstructed not only by bad yields, but by land grabbing, logging, and social problems in nations where it was planted, including Ghana, where jOil operates.
Experts also recommend that jatropha's tale uses lessons for scientists and entrepreneurs exploring appealing brand-new sources for liquid biofuels - which exist aplenty.
Miracle shrub, major bust
Jatropha's early 21st-century appeal stemmed from its guarantee as a "second-generation" biofuel, which are sourced from yards, trees and other plants not derived from edible crops such as maize, soy or oil palm. Among its multiple supposed virtues was a capability to flourish on abject or "marginal" lands
1
Jatropha: the Biofuel that Bombed Seeks a Course To Redemption
Dannie Rohu edited this page 1 week ago