Status of Jatropha in Asia

Cambodia

In Cambodia, Jatropha curcas is found in all over the country and is generally grown as a live fence for protection of agricultural fields against damage by livestock as it is unpalatable to cattle. The Jatropha projects inCambodia are as follows:

Biodiesel Cambodia's vision has been to introduce biodiesel toCambodiaand to assist in the development of the biodiesel industry. Current Jatropha projects under this are
- The MVU Biodiesel Project: Maharishi Vedic University (MVU) has designed, built, and now operates a small, self-sufficient biodiesel production facility that runs on both used-cooking oil and Jatropha plant oil.
- Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC) intends to be a role model of sustainability in Cambodia by replacing its current use of fossil-fuel diesel with 100% biodiesel made from the locally grown Jatropha curcas plant.
Eco-Carbone, a consulting and project development services in the area of climate change mitigation has identified two promising regions for Jatropha development in Cambodia, and will enter into partnership with local farmers and communities for a minimum of 10,000ha.

Malaysia

Mission Biofuels has contracted 200,000 acres of farmland in Malaysia to grow Jatropha and expects to expand the land area to increase to 750,000 acres by the end of 2008. The total land area is expected to increase to 1.5 million acres in 2009 and 2.5 million acres in 2010. (May 2008)
Passion Masters Resources Sdn Bhd, a company in Malysia is to plant 809 hectares of Jatropha in Belawai, Jerijeh, Tanjung Manis and the Rajang area in Mukah division. The plantation is expected to be in operation this year with 2 million seedlings being planted and the biofuel plant will take feedstock from small scale planters as well as the company's own plantation.( Feb 2009)

Myanmar (Burma)

Myanmarhas started the cultivation of Jatropha from 2004 with a large promotion and support from the government. The Jatropha activities are:

The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation announced that it will form a joint venture with the Japan Development Institute and Japan Bio Energy Development Cooperation to produce Jatropha-based biodiesel. According to the enterprise, Myanmar has about 6.41 million hectares of land suitable for growing Jatropha plants. (Oct 2008)
A Myanmar company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a South Korean company to build a biodiesel plant in Myanmar. A total of 2000 acres are to be used for Jatropha along the Pathein-Mawtinsun motorway. The deal between Agri-Tech Ltd of SPA/ FMI Companies Group of Myanmar and the Enertech Co Ltd of South Korea comes in response to the government's call on the private sector to back biodiesel to ease problems of the supply and cost of fuel in the country. (Nov 2008)

Indonesia

In Indonesia, Jatropha curcas L (JCL) is found on the islands: Java, Timor andFlores. It is used for: living fence, ornamental, medicinal, lighting purposes (seeds). (Jul 2008)

Jatropha activities inIndonesiaare:

India's State Trading Corp. (STC) plans to acquire land inIndonesiaandSurinameto grow Jatropha for biodiesel feedstocks. STC started Jatropha farming on 100 hectares (247 acres) of land in Suriname and plans to expand the plantation to 50,000 hectares (123,553 acres) (Nov 2008)
Mother Earth Plantations Pte. Ltd, a Singapore based company is to invest $100 million to develop Jatropha plantations and a refinery in West Timor, East Nusa Tenggara Province. The investment will come through the Singapore company's Indonesian subsidiary PT Buana Ibunda, and the project will be able to produce up to 21 million barrels of biodiesel a year by 2013. (Mar 2009)
The Indonesian government has issued two important policies; first, a decree issued last year obliging industries and the transportation sector to use biofuels; and second, its recent decision to provide subsidies for sales of the biofuels. Both are expected to provide a strong impetus for growth in the country’s nascent biofuel industry. In issuing these policies, the government has underlined its commitment to seeing the national biofuel development program through to fruition.(October 2009)

China

The largest Jatropha curcas L forest in development inChina is located in the Southwest of Sichuan province, with a total area of up to 27,000ha. (Apr 2008)

In Yunnanprovince, there are plenty of large areas good for Jatropha curcas. According to statistics from Yunnan forestry authorities, about 500 thousand mu (15 mu = 1 hectar) in Yunnan is currently covered with wild and planted Jatropha curcas forests.

Jatropha activities in china are:

The government-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) is planning to have 80,000 acres of Jatropha inSichuanProvincealone by 2010.
Guizhou Province's biodiesel oil produced by Jatropha curcas will reach 1 million tons per year in the future, generating output values of CNY 10 billion. (Sep 05, 2008)
In June 2008, the provincial government applied to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) for a 50,000-ton Jatropha curcas-based biodiesel oil industrialization demonstration project, in which China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation takes a 30% stake with CNY 130 million of investment.
Guizhouhas set up a 300-ton Jatropha curcas-based biodiesel oil trial production line, the sample products of which are superior to diesel oil in various factors. Its biodiesel oil meets the European Union (Phase IV) Emission Standards – (Sep, 2008).
The plantation area of Jatropha curcas has exceeded 16,667.5 hectares in the province, and two biodiesel demonstration facilities respectively with an annual output of 10,000 tons and 20,000 tons have both been put into production. (Sep, 2008).

National investments in China in Jatropha biodiesel

·China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) also plans to invest 2.3 billion RMB(Renminbi) until 2010 to develop 33,000 ha of Jatropha curcas L. forest in Panzhihua, Sichuan province(Apr 2008).
·China’s largest state oil company, Sinopec, said it will invest $5 billion in Jatropha and plantations in Indonesia. The Chinese and Italian governments have initiated a feasibility study for Jatropha biodiesel at Sichuan Universtiy. The project received $650,000 in support fromItaly. The project is the third signed byItalyandChina, promising cooperation in biofuels research since mid-April. The others covered industrial waste oil-based biodiesel inHubeiProvince, and thin-film solar cells inShanghai. (Jul 2008)

Foreign investments in China in Jatropha biodiesel

Biodiesel Manufacturing Company (UK) plans to plant over 30,000ha of Jatropha curcas L. in Guangxi province, with an expected capacity of 100,000 T/y as feedstock. By 2009, this project should produce more than 10,000 T/y biodiesel (Apr 2008).
British Sunshine Technology Group (UK) has planted 267 ha Jatropha curcas L. forest in 2006, and is planning to plant 20,000 ha more in the Basin of Honghe River of Yunnan province during 2007-2012. In Sichuan province, the investor plans to develop over 650,000 ha of Jatropha curcas L. forests at a total investment of over 4 billion RMB.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Boeing Company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Shanghai, China. The two organizations will cooperate on bio-energy, advanced material, and wireless technology. The near term collaboration opportunities for Boeing and China could be the commercialization plans for Jatropha (Oct 2009)

Japan

In Japan, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Nagasaki and Okinawa prefectures respectively, are currently promoting cultivation tests of Jatropha using idle farm lands, abandoned arable lands, converted rice-fields, and waste lands among mountains. In these challenges, local municipalities are taking initiatives and collaborating with civic organizations and private businesses. The aim of the municipalities is “produce and consume energy locally”. Production of biofuel from Jatropha can contribute to utilization of idle/unused lands as well as cost reduction of farmers. A civic body named “Minami-Kyusyu Jatropha Project” based in Miyazaki City has completed growing of 10,000 young Jatropha trees by August 2009 among the southern Kyushu region including Miyazaki, Kagoshima and Kumamoto prefectures. In this project, produced Jatropha-oil will be blended with A-heavy oil and used for heating greenhouses and other purposes. In addition, a one-hour test run of a fishing boat was carried out successfully at off-Hachijojima Island, using blended heavy fuel with 50 % Jatropha-oil-content. A NPO “Nadeshiko Family” and Hachijojima-based company “Sakagami” jointly conducted this running test. For producing the above mentioned Jatropha-oil, a high-speed stirring method was used. (2009)

Korea

Two Korean companies have committed a total of $600 million for biofuel investments using sugarcane and Jatropha as feedstock, according to the country’s Department of Agriculture. In a statement, the department said that Environment Plasma Co. Ltd. (EPCL) and Eco Solutions Co. Ltd. (Ecos) have each signed an agreement to develop biofuel feedstock farms in thePhilippines. Ecos will invest $175 million to develop 100,000 ha of Jatropha plantations in General Santos City and Sarangani. The feedstock will be processed into biodiesel in a refinery with a capacity of 60 million liters a year (June 2009).

Nepal

A project proposal entitled "Community Based Jatropha Biodiesel for Rural Economic Growth in Nepal" submitted by the Clean Energy/Environment unit of Nepal aims to use the Jatropha seeds growing in the community waste lands and as hedges in the private lands to produce biodiesel locally and use it for rural applications mainly for operating irrigation pumps.
The company, Crystal Bio-energy Nepal Limited is supposed to build a strong confidence in promoting Jatropha cultivation to the people by assisting planting, purchasing the seeds for oil extraction for bio-diesel. Crystal Bio-Energy wants to pioneer the organized plantation of Jatropha throughout Nepal using agronomic techniques pioneered and perfected inNepal. Crystal Bio-energy says a total of 85000 hectare land area will be planted within 2011 which requires 212 millions Jatropha plants, an investment of 5525 million Nrs.

Pakistan

South Korea and Pakistan may be working together on Jatropha plantations and extraction plants in a deal arranged by the Zarai Taraqiati Bank.Pakistanrecently planted the Jatropha plant in desert regions throughout the country in order to later harvest the fields for biodiesel, a method of biodiesel production thatIndiais already currently utilising. The Pakistani government said it would hope that this would help offset a percentage of the $3 billion dollars already spent on importing diesel (Oct 2009).
In Pakistan, the national government plans to begin a pilot project on Jatropha plantation and biodiesel production at an estimated cost of $1.6m. The Korean government will assist Pakistan in initiating the project through provision of $1.4m, while the remaining amount will be provided by Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd. The project will comprise cultivation of Jatropha on at least 200 hectares and setting up a biodiesel production unit. To start the project, the bank will promote the plantation of Jatropha trees over 200 hectares. (Jan 2010).

Philippines

According to Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), the Philippines has sufficient lands and favorable climatic condition for growing Jatropha. Potential area for plantation is 4 million hectares (captive plantation) and 1 million hectares (hedge plantation). Also the country’s forest area is 15 million hectares and has evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year.

The country’s Jatropha activities are:

The Philippines is expected to start exporting Jatropha oil to the US next year. Abundant Biofuels Corp is expected to export about 30 million gallons of the oil to theUSas a feedstock for biodiesel. According to reports, Abundant Biofuels has secured a deal with JatrophaBioJet Corp., to supply five million barrels of Jatropha oil a year for 10 years. Abundant’s Philippine subsidiary formed a partnership in 2007 with the Supreme Council of Datus Alimaong, which represents holders of ancestral land in Northern Mindanao. Some 60,000 hectares were initially identified as plantation sites, and those are to be expanded over three years to cover 260,000 hectares. (Jul 2009)
The Provincial Government of Negros Occidental through its BioFuel Program Committee launched the province’s first Jatropha Processing and Research Center at the Technology and Livelihood Development Center. The province has currently 792,607 hectares of land, about 500,000 of which is devoted to agriculture while other land areas are abandoned and undeveloped.(Aug 2009)

Singapore

Natural Fuel has announced that it has completed an agreement with GEM BioFuels (GEM) for the supply of crude Jatropha oil feedstock for its Singapore biodiesel facility. The supply of the crude Jatropha oil will commence in early 2009 at a free on board delivery price of US$500 per tonne, adjusted for inflation, for the first five years of the 10 year agreement. GEM will initially supply NFL with 2.5% of itsSingaporefacility production requirements (Feb 2008)

Vietnam

According to Vietnam Institute of Ecological Economy,Vietnamhas approximately 9.7 million hectares of wasteland available for planting Jatropha. The Jatropha activities are:

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam have approved a project, according to which,Vietnam will be growing 500.000 hectares Jatropha and produce about 1 million MT of biodiesel from Jatropha seeds (July 2008)
Eco-Carbone, which provides consulting and project development services in the area of climate change mitigation has identified four regions in Vietnam for Jatropha development, and will enter into partnership with local farmers and communities for a minimum of 30,000ha
Germany’s renewable energy company REG Energie, Duc Viet -Vietnam’s food processing giant, and Vietnam Institute of Ecological Economy has planned to produce bio-diesel from Jatropha seeds. (Nov 2006)
Jatoil and Green Energy Vietnam are setting up a joint venture under the Jatoil Group with the aim of establishing 5,000 hectares of Jatropha plantations in Vietnam. Jatoil are also looking at similar arrangements across Asia and Sri Lanka(Mar 2008)

UAE

A company called Emirates Biodiesel (EmBio) is set to start producing biodiesel next year at a plant near Al Ain from waste oils and locally grown Jatropha (September 6. 2008).

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