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1 Jatropha: the Biofuel that Bombed Seeks a Path To Redemption

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Earlier this century, jatropha was hailed as a "miracle" biofuel. An unassuming shrubby tree native to Central America, it was wildly promoted as a high-yielding, drought-tolerant biofuel feedstock that could grow on abject lands across Latin America, Africa and Asia.
A jatropha rush ensued, with more than 900,000 hectares (2.2 million acres) planted by 2008. But the bubble burst. Low yields caused plantation failures almost all over. The after-effects of the jatropha crash was tainted by allegations of land grabbing, mismanagement, and overblown carbon decrease claims.
Today, some scientists continue pursuing the incredibly elusive promise of high-yielding jatropha. A comeback, they state, is reliant on breaking the yield issue and addressing the damaging land-use concerns intertwined with its initial failure.
The sole staying large jatropha plantation is in Ghana. The plantation owner declares high-yield domesticated ranges have actually been accomplished and a brand-new boom is at hand. But even if this resurgence fails, the world's experience of jatropha holds essential lessons for any appealing up-and-coming biofuel.
At the start of the 21st century, Jatropha curcas, a simple shrub-like tree belonging to Central America, was planted across the world. The rush to jatropha was driven by its guarantee as a sustainable source of biofuel that could be grown on deteriorated, unfertile lands so as not to displace food crops. But inflated claims of high yields fell flat.

Now, after years of research and advancement, the sole remaining big plantation concentrated on growing jatropha is in Ghana. And Singapore-based jOil, which owns that plantation, declares the jatropha return is on.

"All those companies that stopped working, embraced a plug-and-play design of hunting for the wild ranges of jatropha. But to advertise it, you require to domesticate it. This is a part of the procedure that was missed [during the boom]," jOil CEO Vasanth Subramanian told Mongabay in an interview.

Having gained from the mistakes of jatropha's previous failures, he says the oily plant could yet play a crucial role as a liquid biofuel feedstock, decreasing transportation carbon emissions at the international level. A brand-new boom could bring fringe benefits, with jatropha likewise a prospective source of fertilizers and even bioplastics.

But some scientists are skeptical, noting that jatropha has actually currently gone through one hype-and-fizzle cycle. They warn that if the plant is to reach full capacity, then it is important to find out from previous mistakes. During the very first boom, jatropha plantations were obstructed not just by poor yields, but by land grabbing, deforestation, and social problems in countries where it was planted, including Ghana, where jOil runs.

Experts likewise recommend that jatropha's tale offers lessons for scientists and entrepreneurs exploring promising new sources for liquid biofuels - which exist aplenty.

Miracle shrub, significant bust

Jatropha's early 21st-century appeal stemmed from its guarantee as a "second-generation" biofuel, which are sourced from grasses, trees and other plants not originated from edible crops such as maize, soy or oil palm. Among its numerous supposed virtues was a capability to flourish on abject or "limited" lands