A decade on, jatropha makes comeback
After lying comatose for years, Zimbabwe’s jatropha project is back.
Popularised about a decade ago when the country was in the midst of biting fuel shortages, the jatropha plant - whose seeds are used to make biodiesel was said to be the solution.
Then, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and South Korean investors opened a multi-million-dollar biodiesel project in Mt Hampden, the first of its kind in Africa.
It was designed to mainly process oils extracted from jatropha seeds as the main feedstock.
However, plans by Government to transform various farmlands into “oil fields” hit a brick wall due to financial constraints.
Also, differences between parties in the inclusive Government stunted the project.
Today, however, the need to save every cent of foreign currency, create employment, empower people and mitigate against climate change have persuaded authorities to revive the initiative.
There is renewed vigour within Government to re-establish biodiesel processing as part of broader interventions to lessen Zimbabwe’s overdependence on fuel imports.
Through its biodiesel processing company, Finealt Engineering, the Energy and Power Development Ministry has taken over the biodiesel dream and wants to make it a reality.
After years of research, developing a profitable business model and fundraising, jatropha is back.
At the 100-hectare Nyakadecha plantation in Mutoko, the first signs of a massive jatropha estate are taking shape.
A plant is in place and land preparations are near complete. A giant is about to awaken.
Responding to questions from The Sunday Mail last week, the Energy Ministry said: “Government never stopped the National Biodiesel Programme since its inception in 2005. It only scaled it down and focused on research and development after having realised that there was need to create expertise in the growing of the jatropha feedstock and biodiesel processing.
“This was undertaken by a company called Finealt Engineering in Mutoko, and now the programme is graduating from research and development to commercialisation. Effectively, therefore, the project was not folded.
“The programme is ongoing. It will be rolled out to other provinces that have the ideal climate for growing jatropha. The biodiesel plant was established in Mutoko in 2009 and has been producing biodiesel and other by-products.
“The feedstock required to produce biodiesel is currently being purchased from out-grower farmers in Mashonaland East where the plant is located.”
The Sunday Mail understands that over the years, Finealt Engineering has been engaging technical experts drawn from local universities who have been testing different varieties of jatropha plants with a view to establishing those suitable to individual regions of Zimbabwe.
They also sought to establish exact varieties that give the best yield per hectare.
Experts considered different oil-producing plants such as soya, sunflower and groundnuts, though a decision was made against using edible crops.
Bio-energy experts say a tonne of seed oil can produce 300 litres of bio-diesel.
“While Finealt Engineering - Government’s company implementing the programme - is going commercial, locals and any interested parties can grow jatropha and sell the feedstock to Finealt for processing into biodiesel,” said a Harare-based expert.
“The objective is to commercialise the growing of jatropha in order to produce adequate feedstock for the production of biodiesel. In that regard, the production of the jatropha feedstock will need to be done at a larger scale so as to develop a fully self-sustaining biodiesel production value chain.”
An Energy Ministry official told this paper, “Plans are already underway for the establishment of a 100ha jatropha plantation at Nyakadecha Estate this year, which will be further expanded as more funds are available.
“The feedstock mobilisation and production model explained above will empower local communities wherever a plant is set up. It costs about US$650 000 to establish a 250-hectare estate for feedstock production. During the establishment of jatropha plantation, inter-cropping will be done to recover/reduce costs.
“Only when production of biodiesel becomes profitable, profits will then be ploughed into expansion. While Government will assist in the establishment of the 100-hectare estate at Nyakadecha, Finealt Engineering is looking for partners to speed up programme rollout. At the same time, some feedstock will be acquired from the local communities to augment the company’s production.”
Finealt Engineering is producing a litre of biodiesel at US$0,98 and processing improvements could see this go down to US$0,78.
The retail price for regular diesel is US$1,23-US$1,24.
The ministry official also said: “The production of biodiesel locally does not guarantee lowering of diesel prices. As you know, international fuel prices fluctuate, depending on supply and demand.
“Though one of the objectives at the moment is to produce biodiesel as cheaply as possible, currently production costs are US$0.98 per litre with US$0.78 per litre achievable when production s done at a larger scale. There are other benefits which the Government is looking at.
“These include security of fuel supply, educed dependence on imports thereby saving foreign currency, creation of employment, rural development and reduction of carbon emissions through increased uptake of bio-fuels which are clean sources of energy.
“Thus the programme is not aimed at reducing prices of diesel only but has much wider benefits to the country, local communities and contributes to climate change mitigation.”