TheBioenergySite Latest News
Kenya to Produce Diesel Fuel From Jatropha Tree
KENYA - Kenya is joining a long list of countries planning to produce diesel fuel from the poisonous-but-oil-rich seeds of the jatropha tree, a plant indigenous to South America.According to the Birmingham Star, the tree is at the heart of a five-year strategy to develop a bio-fuel industry in Kenya, which is expected to reduce the country's dependence on imported fossil fuels without threatening food security.
The jatropha plant can grow more than three meters high and produce golf ball-sized fruit. The fruit's poisonous seeds have been mainly used for medicinal purposes, but in recent years, researchers have discovered that the oil in the seeds can be processed into high-quality diesel fuel.
A senior official at Kenya's Ministry of Energy, Faith Odongo, tells VOA that preliminary tests have shown that the jatropha tree can be successfully grown in Kenya.
She says about 5,000 hectares of land are being set aside for cultivation amid growing expectations that the plant could help the country reduce its fossil fuel imports by five percent in the next four years.
TheBioenergySite News Desk
Latest Bioenergy Industry News
Schafer Leads US Delegation to Brazil Conference
USDA Invites Applications for Biorefinery Loans- Biofuels Not to Blame for Food Price Rises
CAP Health Check Will Help Farmers- Energy Diversification and Climate Change
Immediate Reform of UN Body Urged- Project Breaks Solar Efficiency Record
- Ethanol Agreement Between China and Brazil
Ethanol from Sugar for Angola- Biodiesel Plant Opens in Danville
