Last Updated- Oct 22, 2009 16:22 - - 5 Comments


Biofuel Africa produces first 50 barrels of biodiesel from Jatropha in Ghana

Jatropha seeds

Jatropha seeds

A biodiesel company operating in Ghana has announced the first commercial production of biodiesel from Jatropha in the country.

An official of Biofuel Africa, Ove Martin Kolnes told ghanabusinessnews.com on the telephone that the company has produced 10 tons of biodiesel, about 50 barrels from its plantations in Ghana.

He said the production was realized from 650 hectares of the plant.

“This was produced from one-year-old Jatropha seeds from our plantations in Yendi in the Northern Region and Sogakope in the Volta Region,” he said.

According to Kolnes, the vegetable oil produced from Jatropha can be used without any modifications to directly run vehicles and machines in Ghana because of the climate.

“I am already using it in my car”, he excitedly told ghanabusinessnews.com.

Earlier the company had issued a press release in which it said it has started the commercial production of Jatropha oil, “the first company in West Africa to move from growing and selling Jatropha fruits and seeds to production and sale of Jatropha oil on a commercial scale for direct use, without modification, and as a feedstock for biodiesel and synthetic diesel.”

“This is a major milestone for the biofuel industry in West Africa,” said BioFuel Africa CEO and Director Steinar Kolnes. “The industry has taken some time to mature here, but now we are beginning to see the fruits of our collective labor and everyone – local farmers and communities, the government and biofuel producers – will benefit.”

BioFuel Africa Ltd. which is a Ghanaian company wholly owned by Norway-based Solar Harvest AS, was the first company in Ghana to receive Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for a Jatropha plantation.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi

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Comments

5 Responses to “Biofuel Africa produces first 50 barrels of biodiesel from Jatropha in Ghana”

  1. Pasquale Giordano on October 22nd, 2009 5:00 pm

    This is a great article. Regards Pasquale

  2. Ted on October 22nd, 2009 10:57 pm

    I think this fuel should be a cost effective one. but on the other hand this fuel should be tested with different climatic conditions and based on the outcome few modifications can take place. I hope this fuel works any climatic conditions in world.

    Thanks for the information Emmanuel.

    Regards,
    Ted

  3. piyush ranka on October 23rd, 2009 9:13 am

    is it cost effective today? since the price of seed has increased tremendously in india? are u cultivating it today also?

  4. Sonal on November 2nd, 2009 6:02 pm

    This truly marks as a clean & prosperous beginning towards saving the planet earth from the global climatic damage. This article is truly a pleasure to share with my people. Hope the other countries get inspired from this and help make this planet a more cleaner & healthier place to live in.

    Regards
    Sonal

  5. antonio casella on November 16th, 2009 9:32 pm

    this will change all the geography of the new ppower plants in Italy.
    Please get in touch with me because i am willing to purchase the jatropha oil for a new power plant in south of Italy.

    Kindly,
    Antonio

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