Ghana gets jatropha biodiesel

2009-10-30 14:49:00

Jatropha is fast-proving the gem of the biodiesel feedstocks, and now one African producer has manufactured its first batch of the renewable fuel. Biofuel Africa, based in Ghana, has produced 10 tons of biodiesel, about 50 barrels from its plantations in its home country. The production was realised from 650 hectares of the plant, from one-year-old seeds. The vegetable oil produced from jatropha can be used without any modifications to directly run vehicles and machines in Ghana because of the climate. 'This is a major milestone for the biofuel industry in West Africa,' BioFuel Africa CEO and Director Steinar Kolnes, notes. 'The industry has taken some time to mature here, but now we are beginning to see the fruits of our collective labour and everyone – local farmers and communities, the government and biofuel producers – will benefit.' BioFuel Africa is a Ghanaian company wholly owned by Norway-based Solar Harvest, and was the first company in Ghana to receive Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for a Jatropha plantation.

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