Jatropha plant promoted for biodiesel

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Orlando Sentinel[/url

'Farming our fuel'

Officials from a local company will tout the jatropha plant today in Tallahassee. "We're doing things right here in Orlando that are going to change America."

Rich Mckay

Sentinel Staff Writer

April 17, 2007

America, meet your next tank of gas -- made from superpowered seeds.

A couple of Orlando entrepreneurs say that a Malaysian variety newly approved for U.S. import could help solve America's energy woes and boost Central Florida's economy with a new cash crop.

State Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson, along with executives from the Orlando-based Xenerga Inc., are scheduled to introduce a patented version of the jatropha plant today in Tallahassee.

"We're doing things right here in Orlando that are going to change America," said Dave Jarrett, a company spokesman. "Just wait and see."

The oil pressed from the jatropha nut can be used to make biodiesel, producing six to eight times the amount of energy extracted from soybeans -- the most common crop used for biodiesel in the U.S.

Xenerga president Jason Sayers and his business partner Victor Clewes have the exclusive patent on the high-octane version of the plant with seeds that grow inside bunches of fat green pods the size of peach pits.

It can produce 1,600 gallons of biodiesel per acre, compared with soy's 200 gallons, Sayers said.

A Lake Wales farmer is ready to grow 5,000 acres of the genetically enhanced jatropha, Jarrett said. And unlike soy, which takes lots of tending, fertilizer and water, the jatropha plant can grow happily in arid soil, with little water and almost no tending.

"Think of it as farming our fuel," Sayers said.

President Bush mandated that refineries should have renewable fuels blended into 7.5 billion gallons of the nation's fuel supply by 2012.

Only about 75 million gallons of biodiesel were sold in the U.S. last year, compared with about 6 billion gallons of petroleum diesel, according to the National Biodiesel Board, a trade organization.

"Biodiesel is huge in Europe and Asia," Sayers said. "America is just now catching up."

So Sayers and his associates are also launching a venture with Xenerga that will sell prefabricated mom-and-pop biodiesel refineries for about $2 million.

Their plan is to sell turnkey operations, manufactured in Germany and shipped here, and promise a steady supply of raw materials and customers. They have contracts to build about 16 of the refineries. Each refinery, if running at capacity, can produce 5 million gallons of biodiesel a year. Jarrett said they already have a slew of inquiries and expect to have 100 refineries throughout the country up and running in 18 months.

Besides the jatropha nut, his other sources will include a plentiful supply of restaurant grease. Through Sayers' other business, FiltaFry, which cleans restaurant fryers, he spotted a potential energy source in leftover grease.

The National Biodiesel Board said the industry is growing fast, with about 90 plants operating now and another 60 under construction.

While Xenerga won't have its first plant, in Kissimmee, up and running for two more months, Silver Bullet Energy has a small plant in Groveland that started making biodiesel this year out of grease extracted from sewage.

Another company, Southeast BioDiesel, plans to make about 6 million gallons of fuel a year from restaurant grease or soybean oil. It expects to be up and running in Sanford this summer.

And MetroWest developer and entrepreneur Kevin Azzouz said he's getting into the business with a company called Clean Fuel. He envisions using restaurant grease at a plant in Orange County that would create about 400 jobs.

Azzouz already made the rounds to potential customers, including Orange County Public Schools, which runs 1,000 buses each school day using a total of 14,000 gallons of diesel.

"We buy our diesel by the tanker-truck load," said Arby Creach, a transportation manager for Orange County schools.

School Board member Karen Ardaman said that biodiesel is promising, especially if produced locally.

"If it's cost-effective, hopefully it would help us stretch our dollars," she said.

[homesick_american 1]

Biodiesel is a nice idea but it doesn't do you much good when you can't find a passenger car that has a diesel engine.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Biodiesel is a nice idea but it doesn't do you much good when you can't find a passenger car that has a diesel engine.

It's a great idea!! We don't have many in the USA because of marketing.

over 25 Manufacturers have made at least 236 different passenger vehicle models with diesel engines.

Stock Honda Accord Diesel Sets New World Records (92 mpg in mixed driving)

[almaty 19]

i agree..i think that is a great idea..and more power to them........

[Heracles 417]

Stock Honda Accord Diesel Sets New World Records (92 mpg in mixed driving)

Accord 2.2 i-CTDi is a awesome engine. Why have diesels in smaller cards not kicked off here? They pretty much get better mileage than hybrids..

For that matter anyone, know why cars like Fiat, Citroen or Renault are not sold here?

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Stock Honda Accord Diesel Sets New World Records (92 mpg in mixed driving)

Accord 2.2 i-CTDi is a awesome engine. Why have diesels in smaller cards not kicked off here? They pretty much get better mileage than hybrids..

For that matter anyone, know why cars like Fiat, Citroen or Renault are not sold here?

Americans (and Canadians?) still relate diesels to big loud, smokey, slow trucks.

Fiat, Citroen or Renault were related to low quality and they wouldn't sell.

[Dr_LHA 3]

Biodiesel is a nice idea but it doesn't do you much good when you can't find a passenger car that has a diesel engine.

This is mainly due to ridiculous emission standards in the USA that diesels can't pass (not because deisel cars pollute, but because the emission standards are designed purely for petrol powered engines). Go to Europe and >50% of cars are deisel.

Americans (and Canadians?) still relate diesels to big loud, smokey, slow trucks.

Indeed. Recently I was in Italy and pointed out to my American boss that his rental car (a Ford Focus) was diesel, and he wouldn't believe me. It wasn't until he went to fill it up that he saw I was right. "Its so quiet!".

Edited April 19, 2007 by Dr_LHA

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Biodiesel is a nice idea but it doesn't do you much good when you can't find a passenger car that has a diesel engine.

This is mainly due to ridiculous emission standards in the USA that diesels can't pass (not because deisel cars pollute, but because the emission standards are designed purely for petrol powered engines). Go to Europe and >50% of cars are deisel.

Americans (and Canadians?) still relate diesels to big loud, smokey, slow trucks.

Indeed. Recently I was in Italy and pointed out to my American boss that his rental car (a Ford Focus) was diesel, and he wouldn't believe me. It wasn't until he went to fill it up that he saw I was right. "Its so quiet!".

I can remember test-driving (though I wasn't planning to purchase) a TDI Passat in 1997 (I had a 1995 Jetta with a 2.0 L petrol engine). The Passat was able to accelerate almost as well as my Jetta (a Passat is larger, and about 200 kg heavier than a Jetta with similar engine), and was not overly noisy (I could play a radio/tape at normal volume; basically, it was noisier than the petrol engine in my Jetta, but quiter than a petrol-driven Ambassador--though that comparison sounds silly).

Also, US carmakers DID attempt to bring diesel option in 1970's (during Carter's time) but botched it (GM had a 350 V8 diesel which was basically used the same parts as 350 V8 petrol--unfortunately, the parts couldn't handle the higher pressures/temperatures involved).

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I showed my wife and she wants to start growing these on our farm in Thailand (her idea). With trained monkeys harvesting (my super-fun idea).

[Saddle Bronc 124]

... Fiat, Citroen or Renault were related to low quality and they wouldn't sell.

Canadians would be more likely (if these are sold at near-dirt-cheap price, with relatively easy parts availability AND on-time delivery to customer--the last two doomed Dacia and Yugo--and then only for a short term) to buy them than Americans.

Proof is in Renault 5 as "Le Car"--or "Le Cinq" in Quebec (both names gramatically incorrect, since in French, cars are feminine)--popular 1978 to 1981, and the Zighuli (RUSSIAN version of Fiat 124) being sold in Canada popular 1983-1985.

Citroen has even trouble selling in France (even worse in Canada, since its name looks like "citron", which most Canadians will recognise as French for "lemon")

Edited April 19, 2007 by CherryXS

[almaty 19]

canadians will buy anything with 4 wheels it seems

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

canadians will buy anything with 4 wheels it seems

Canada rules!!

[Saddle Bronc 124]

canadians will buy anything with 4 wheels it seems

so long as it's NOT designed in Canada (the Bricklin was a failure).

[almaty 19]

canadians will buy anything with 4 wheels it seems

Canada rules!!

whoa, is that sister sharon's ride...?