{"id":1007,"date":"2009-06-09T13:28:48","date_gmt":"2009-06-09T13:28:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.energyrefuge.com\/blog\/?p=1007"},"modified":"2017-09-05T17:54:15","modified_gmt":"2017-09-05T21:54:15","slug":"renewable-energy-markets-recover-jatropha-new-generation-biofuels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.energyrefuge.com\/blog\/renewable-energy-markets-recover-jatropha-new-generation-biofuels\/","title":{"rendered":"Renewable energy: markets recover and jatropha goes north"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"renewableA report in the New York Times yesterday said renewable, alternative energy is about to recover from the 2008 market meltdown, especially solar power and next-generation biofuels, while wind will continue to rely on government support. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Biofuel executives \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 speak of an inevitable turn from corn-based ethanol into more efficient cellulosic feedstocks like sugarcane, switchgrass, and wood waste – all spurred by an infusion of capital from big oil companies and large timber and farming concerns\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, said the article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Speaking of new-generation biofuels, SG Biofuels today announced it has identified several strains of cold tolerant Jatropha capable of thriving in climates previously thought to be outside of the crop’s preferred subtropical habitat. Utilizing the strains, the company has initiated a breeding program to develop Jatropha as an oil-producing crop in colder climates of the United States.<\/p>\n

The strains are included among thousands of variations of Jatropha curcas the firm has collected from a range of climates and geographies around the world as part of its Genetic Resource Center, which the company says is the world’s largest, most diverse collection of Jatropha genetic material.<\/p>\n

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“While Jatropha is known to thrive in warm, tropical climates, its efficacy and yield in colder regions has been considerably lower,” said Kirk Haney, President and CEO for SG Biofuels. “We believe that we have located several strains that can make Jatropha a viable oil-producing crop in a much broader range of climates here in the United States.”<\/p>\n

Jatropha curcas is a non-edible shrub that is native to Central America. Its seeds contain high amounts of oil that can be used for a variety of bio-based materials including biodiesel and feedstock substitutes for the petrochemical and jet fuel industries. It can be effectively grown on abandoned lands that are unsuitable for other crops, but its effective growing range has been limited by its lack of tolerance for freezing temperatures.<\/p>\n

The company adds that with proper site selection and agronomic practices, an acre can produce yields of 200-300 gallons of extractable oil. In addition, Jatropha has very-low input costs relative to other biofuel feedstocks, which makes the plant profitable with current yields.<\/p>\n

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