Renewable Energy
ProTREE
Promotion of Technologies in Renewable Energy Enterprises
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The tall Jatropha plants on the left will form
a hedge around this garden plot. |
The Jatropha Solution
The ProTREE project team of Pamoja Inc, a Vermont
and Tanzania based non-profit organization, is working with non-edible
plant oils as a liquid fuel alternative. Our current focus is the oil
extracted from the nuts of the Jatropha Curcas or Physic Nut plant. Jatropha
will thrive in a wide variety of soils and is tolerant of even arid climates.
The nuts are a rich source of non-edible oil but they are underutilized
in most places. When the oil is extracted from the nuts, the remaining
husk can be used as a concentrated, nitrogen rich fertilizer, so even
the extraction process adds to the overall value.
Jatropha is planted for erosion control, to fix nitrogen in the soil,
and as hedges around gardens and fields to protect them from animal intrusion.
Since Jatropha can be grown on marginal land and around existing gardens
and fields, it does not compete for cropland, but complements food crop
production.
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Extracting Jatropha oil.
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Extracting the oil from the Jatropha seeds is done with inexpensive,
locally made, hand powered presses. These presses are used to extract
edible oils from various nuts and seeds. There are currently about 15,000
presses in use at the village level in sub-Saharan Africa (they are also
being used in many other parts of the world). These presses can be used
without any modification to extract Jatropha oil, as long as they are
cleaned thoroughly before being used again for edible oils.
One of Pamoja’s Tanzanian partner organizations, Kakute Ltd, a
private sector manufacturing and marketing firm, recently developed a
wick-type liquid fuel stove that works very well with Jatropha oil. It
can be fabricated in local blacksmith shops and will sell in Africa for
about US$5. This is competitive with the stoves used to burn charcoal
and will allow it to penetrate the market in a way that a more expensive
stove would not.
Kakute has also developed an oil-burning lamp that is a huge improvement
over a wood fire for lighting. Since it is mostly made from salvaged materials,
it can be sold for about US$1. This will make one of the most basic necessities
affordable for the first time to millions of people.
This means a complete village based energy system is now available that
has the potential to have a very substantial impact on deforestation,
the health issues associated with exposure to the smoke from cooking fires,
and the time involved in collecting increasingly scarce and remote firewood.
Processing and selling Jatropha oil will also offer an alternate source
of income for those who now make charcoal.
The Challenge Ahead.
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