is an extremely versatile plant that can make a contribution to the planet's energy and climate balance in the long term. Jatropha Curcas, which is from the Euphorbiaceae family of plants, is resistant and extremely undemanding – it even thrives in dry and otherwise unprofitable soils. For several centuries, jatropha, also known as the physic nut, has been grown and used throughout Africa and Asia. It is very robust, has a low susceptibility to diseases and can also cope with long periods of drought as it can store liquid well.
Because of these properties, jatropha is particularly suitable for use in less developed regions of the world. In tropical countries it is an ideal plant for reforesting barren land or agricultural land that has been left due to drought or soil erosion. It is estimated that the potential cultivation area of jatropha covers up to three million square kilometres worldwide.
Using jatropha to produce energy has absolutely no impact on food supplies. Unlike canola, soya, palm kernels, wheat and other plant-based sources of energy, jatropha products are not intended for human consumption and the plant thrives in areas that cannot really be used for agricultural production due to its undemanding nature.
Not only does the utilisation of the jatropha nut not only offers economic opportunities for less developed countries, but it also demonstrates a remarkably efficient ratio between work and performance.
Around 2,500 to 3,000 kg of fruit can be harvested from one hectare of cultivated land – enough for around 750 litres of renewably produced fuel. The exact yield varies depending on the efficiency of the cultivation and processing.
The biofuel obtained here has a very high octane value of 60 and is economically versatile.
Just one individual jatropha plant can produce one litre of biodiesel a year for around 40 years without needing fertilisers or chemicals to encourage growth.
The refined jatropha oil can be used in diesel motors without any major adjustments and is classed as a second-generation biofuel.
The jatropha plant is extremely water-efficient and only needs around 500 mm of precipitation a year.
For farmers in developing countries, being able to use self-manufactured biodiesel means that they do not have to purchase other fuel, as this can be used directly for their machinery.
In addition to the economic aspects, jatropha plants also offer remarkable environmental advantages that often directly benefit the country where they are grown. Unlike canola, soya or palm oil, jatropha plants thrive on “poor” soils that are unsuitable for food production.
They are ideal for reforesting bare or eroded landscapes and can act as a protective hedge for useful plants. When jatropha grows, it absorbs exactly the amount of CO2 that is released when its oil is burned in an engine, making it a carbon-neutral energy source. If we take a cultivation area of 10 square kilometres, for example, jatropha can help to save 20 million tonnes of CO2 emissions when compared to the combustion of standard diesel fuels.
Unlike mineral oil, the fuel obtained from jatropha nuts does not contain sulphur, which means it is an environmentally-friendly alternative to diesel fuel, also when used in domestic vehicles. Electricity from jatropha oil plants fulfil the sustainability criteria in line with the European regulation on feed-in tariffs.
A team of researchers from the Heidelberg Institute for Energy and Environmental Research drew the following conclusion from a jatropha project: “Jatropha saves on fossil oil and reduces greenhouse gas emissions when it is planted on previously sparsely vegetated and infertile soils. Compared to fossil diesel, jatropha diesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions by around 50 per cent on average, and can even reduce them by up to 100 per cent under good conditions. Jatropha plants have a good ecological balance, they reduce CO2 emissions and produce an efficient fuel. Even the residues left after the jatropha nuts are processed can be used efficiently and in a wide variety of ways.” (Source: Frankfurter Rundschau)
The processing of nuts into oil with the NEUHÄUSER JOESY oil extraction plant on site is therefore not only makes financial sense but it is also good for the environment.
Jatropha Curcas (also known as the physic nut) is robust and low-maintenance, and the products that can be obtained from the oil that its seeds produce are exceptionally varied.
Here are just a few examples:
Efficient biodiesel/biofuel for engines.
Oil for power generators that can be used for infrastructure facilities in rural areas.
Heating oil, that can be used instead of sulphur-containing fuels in cogeneration plants.
Due to its consistency, the oil of the jatropha nut can ideally be used as a lubricant or for hydraulic oils.
The oil extracted from the seeds of the jatropha nut makes an outstanding biological fuel.
The nuts are traditionally used to make high-quality soap.
The toxins contained in the jatropha nuts have traditionally been used as a laxative by healers.
After being suitably refined, the jatropha meal can be used as natural fertiliser.
The press cakes made using the meal left behind after the oil production can be used a high-quality animal feed with a crude protein content of around 60 per cent. For comparison, soya has a crude protein content of just 45 per cent.
The toxic residues from the oil pressing can be used to make biopesticides.