bio-energy Profitability of Jatropha Curcas L. cultivation as bio-diesel source

Profitability of Jatropha Curcas L. cultivation as biodiesel source, Mysore district

Submitted by: Omid Minooei

Under guidance of

Professor Dr.S.Mokshapathy

Objectives

To define the current development situation of the biofuels enterprises with regards to biodiesel produced from Jatropha curcas L.;

to identify the competitiveness of biodiesel from Jatropha in the domestic and international market by estimating the production costs and the potential biodiesel prices along the supply chain;

to derive the best scenario for India in integrating biodiesel into its energy mix;

How much income can be made to contribute to rural poverty reduction?

Literature review introduction

India is the seventh largest country in the world, India with 109 crore population is the, second most populous nation of the world after China. It ranks sixth in the world in terms of energy demand.

The demand for diesel is likely to touch 66 million tonnes in 2011-12 and 80 million tonnes in 2012-15. Contrary to the demand situation, the domestic supply is in position to cater to only about 30% of the total demand. Therefore, attempt needs to be made to reduce dependence on imports and seek better alternatives.

Punia, M.S. (2012).Cultivation and Use of Jatropha for Bio-diesel Production in India

Literature review introduction

The best alternatives are bio-fuels and the country has a ray of hope for the same through various sources namely virgin or used vegetable oils, biogas, alcohols, ethers, esters and other chemicals derived from cellulosic bio-mass such as herbaceous and woody plants, agricultural and forestry residues, Tree borne oilseeds like Jatropha, Karanja, Neem, Oil Palm etc. Among bio-fuels, bio-diesel is gaining worldwide acceptance as a solution to energy crises. At present, India is using 80 per cent diesel driven vehicles. It is possible to blend 20 per cent bio-diesel with petro-diesel without any modification in the diesel engine.

Punia, M.S. (2012).Cultivation and Use of Jatropha for Bio-diesel Production in India

Jatropha Curcas plantJatropha Curcas seed

Jatropha Curcas fruit

Jatropha Curcas plantation:Climate:

Jatropha grows in tropical and sub tropical

regions, with cultivation limits at

30ºN and 35ºS. It also grows in lower altitudes of

0-500 metres above sea level

Jatropha is not sensitive to day length (flowering

is independent of latitude) and may flower at any

time of the year .(Heller, 1996)

Heller, J. (1996). Physic Nut, Jatropha Curcas L, Bioversity international.

Jatropha curcas plantation:SOILS

The best soils for jatropha are aerated sands and loams of at least 45 cm depth

(Gour, 2006). Heavy clay soils are less suitable and should be avoided,

particularly where drainage is impaired, as jatropha is intolerant of waterlogged

conditions. Ability to grow in alkaline soils has been widely reported, but the soil

pH should be within 6.0 to 8.0/8.5 (Jacqueline Cramer, 2010). There is evidence

from northwest India that jatropha is tolerant of saline irrigation water, although

yield under these conditions is not documented. (Dagar et al., 2006).

1. Gour, V. (2006). Production practices including post harvest management of Jatropha curcas. Proceedings of the biodiesel conference toward energy independance-Focus of Jatropha, Hyderabad, India.

2. Jacqueline Cramer (2010). The Jatropha Handbook,From Cultivation To Application. Netherlands, Horsten

3. Dagar, J., et al. (2006). "Performance of some under explored crops under saline irrigation in a semiarid climate in Northwest India." Land Degradation & Development 17(3): 285-299.

Jatropha curcas Propagation

The selection of planting material should be from cuttings or seed that have

proven, over several seasons, to have high yield and seed oil content under the

same irrigation and fertilization conditions that are proposed for the new

plantation. Seed from high-yielding jatropha plants is not generally available, due

to the fact that the out-crossing seed selected from productive plants may or may

not result in high-yielding and high-quality plants. Trees capable of producing

more than 2 tonnes of dry seed per ha with 30 percent seed oil content should be

selected as source material (Achten et al., 2008). Opinion is divided on the choice

of seed or cuttings. (Heller, 1996)

Achten, W., et al. (2008). " Jatropha bio-diesel production and use." Biomass and bioenergy 32(12): 1063-1084.Heller, J. (1996). Physic Nut, Jatropha Curcas L, Bioversity international.

Alternative Propagation Methods

Alternative Propagation Methods

PlantingJatropha is planted at densities ranging from 1100 to 2500 plants per ha. Yield per tree is likely to increase with wider spacing but with a decline in yield per ha .(Achten et al., 2008)

Achten, W., et al. (2008). " Jatropha bio-diesel production and use." Biomass and bioenergy 32(12): 1063-1084.

HARVESTING

Seeds are ready for harvesting around 90 days after flowering when the fruits have changed from green to yellow-brown. In wetter climates, fruiting is continuous throughout the year, while the harvest may be confined to two months in semi-arid regions. Even then, the fruits do not ripen together, requiring weekly picking and making the harvest labour intensive and difficult to mechanize.

oil extraction: processing

Laboratory Scale

10 kg of Jatropha seeds dried at 800 C for 5 hours in a hot air oven. The dried seeds were shelled and milled. The oil was extracted from the milled kernels with petroleum ether (40-600 C) using the Soxhlet extraction method .The solvent was removed from the extract and the oil content was found to be 53% by weight of the milled kernel. About 4 litres of the oil were extracted and kept over anhydrous sodium sulphate for three days and filtered through glass wool to remove the particulate matter present in it. The filtered oil was then stored in glass bottles for further experiments. (Barua, 2011)

Barua, P. K. (2011). "Biodiesel from seeds of Jatropha found in Assam, India." International Journal of Energy, Information and Communications 2(1): 587-593

oil extraction: Processing

industrial

Traditional oil extraction methods are highly labour intensive, requiring some 12 hours to produce one litre of oil. The process requires roasting the seed kernels, pounding them to a paste, adding water and boiling, and then separating the oil by skimming and filtering. The Bielenberg ram press (shown in Plate 15) is a hand-operated expeller designed for construction and repair by small and simply equipped workshops. It has a low work rate – one litre of oil produced per hour – and therefore is only suited to small-scale or demonstration use. (Henning, 2004)

Henning, R. K. (2004). "The Jatropha System." Economy & Dissemination Strategy.

Expected Yield(Profitability)

Different yields of Jatropha are reported and estimated by different

authors There has been neither a long history of production nor systematic

data collected in different production conditions with varying climate, soil

fertility, landform, altitude, water and fertilizer inputs etc.

(Francis, Edinger, & Becker, 2005) estimates the annual seed production

per plant to range from about 200 grams to more than 2 kilograms. Yield

varies significantly depending on the water input, which determines the

number of fruiting period per year, which can vary from one to three.

Francis, G., et al. (2005). A concept for simultaneous wasteland reclamation, fuel production, and socio‐economic development in degraded areas in India: Need, potential and perspectives of Jatropha plantations. Natural Resources Forum, Wiley Online Library.

Expected Yield(Profitability)

contd...

From the early experience of jatropha production by research institutes,

private enterprises and local farmers in Maharastra state, (Rao, 2006)

estimates that the average yield of jatropha seeds in dry lands is unlikely

to exceed 400 kilograms per acre per year. (Prajapati & Prajapati, 2005)

estimated jatropha yields in rain fed and irrigated conditions in India.

After 5years, the production per tree ranged from 1.2 kilograms under

rain fed conditions to 3.2 kilograms under irrigated conditions. the plant

can survive but not give high yields under conditions of stress (Kureel,

2006)Kureel, R. (2006). Prospects and potential of Jatropha curcas for biodiesel production. Biodiesel Conference Towards Energy Independence–Focus on Jatropha.

Prajapati, N. D. and T. Prajapati (2005). A Hand Book of Jatropha curcas Linn. (Physic nut). Asian Medical Plant and Health Care Trust, Jodhpur, India.

Feasibility and Costs, Benefits Analysis Jatropha Plantation:

Profitability of Jatropha production depends on age of trees

and level of integration into existing farming systems, the

cost components of commercial production of bio-diesel from

Jatropha include costs of raising germ-plasm, land

preparation, planting, management, harvesting, post-harvest

handling and processing. (Wekesa, 2007)Wekesa, L. e. a. (2007). Economic Analysis Of Jatropha Carcus L. Potential For Biodiesel Production In Kenya. Kenya Forestry Research Institute Nairobi, Kenya.

Feasibility and Costs, Benefits Analysis Jatropha Plantation:

The cost benefit analysis is performed to assess the feasibility

of ‘Jatropha’ bio-diesel production. The conventional

measures like NPV (Net Present Value), BCR (Benefit Cost

Ratio), and IRR (Internal Rate of Return) were used in

financial and economic terms. Nominal Protection Rate

(NPR) was calculated by dividing the local ‘Jatropha’ bio-

diesel price by the border price of bio-diesel. (Sivashankar,

2014).Sivashankar, P. (2014). "An Economic Analysis Of Jatropha Bio-Diesel Production In Sri Lanka." Plant Science and Forestry 18, 4-5.

Costs and Benefits Analysis of Small Scale Jatropha Plantation:

Techno economic analysis of Jatropha

Results show that producing Jatropha pure plant oil, as the first

considered fossil diesel supplement, was able to generate positive net

present values at crude oil prices between US$ 85-115 per barrel, taking

into account low and baseline production cost scenarios (interest rate

10%) respectively (Martin Grass,2010) . While multiple benefits of

Jatropha production such as a petroleum product substitute, greenhouse

gas mitigation and rural development are emphasized, the viability of

production at farm level is questioned. (Tomomatsu, 2007)

Tomomatsu, Y. (2007). Jatropha curcas biodiesel production in Kenya,Economics and potential value chain development for smallholder farmers. kenya: 1-33.

Reference:

1. Achten, W., et al. (2008). " Jatropha bio-diesel production and use." Biomass and bio energy 32(12): 1063-1084.

2. Barua, P. K. (2011). "Biodiesel from seeds of Jatropha found in Assam, India." International Journal of Energy, Information and Communications 2(1): 587-593.

3. Dagar, J., et al. (2006). "Performance of some under explored crops under saline irrigation in a semiarid climate in Northwest India." Land Degradation & Development 17(3): 285-299.

4. Francis, G., et al. (2005). A concept for simultaneous wasteland reclamation, fuel production, and socio‐economic development in degraded areas in India: Need, potential and perspectives of Jatropha plantations. Natural Resources Forum, Wiley Online Library.

5. Gour, V. (2006). Production practices including post harvest management of Jatropha Curcas. Proceedings of the biodiesel conference toward energy independence-Focus of Jatropha, Hyderabad, India.

6. Heller, J. (1996). Physic Nut, Jatropha Curcas L, Bioversity international.

7. Henning, R. K. (2004). "The Jatropha System." Economy & Dissemination Strategy.

8. Jacqueline Cramer (2010). The Jatropha Hand book, From Cultivation To Application. Netherlands, Horsten.

9. Kureel, R. (2006). Prospects and potential of Jatropha Curcas for biodiesel production. Biodiesel Conference Towards Energy Independence–Focus on Jatropha.

10. Prajapati, N. D. and T. Prajapati (2005). A Hand Book of Jatropha Curcas Linn. (Physic nut). Asian Medical Plant and Health Care Trust, Jodhpur, India.

10. Rao, V. R. (2006). The Jatropha hype: promise and performance. Proceedings of the biodiesel conference toward energy independence-Focus of Jatropha, Hyderabad, India.

11. Sivashankar, P. (2014). "An Economic Analysis Of Jatropha Bio-Diesel Production In Sri Lanka." Plant Science and Forestry 18, 4-5.

12. Tomomatsu, Y. (2007). Jatropha Curcas biodiesel production in Kenya, Economics and potential value chain development for smallholder farmers. Kenya: 1-33.

13. Wekesa, L. e. a. (2007). Economic Analysis Of Jatropha Curcas L. Potential For Biodiesel Production In Kenya. Kenya Forestry Research Institute Nairobi, Kenya.

Thank you