The
National Mission on Jatropha Biodiesel
In April 2003, the committee on development of BIO-FUEL, under
the auspices of the Planning Commission of India, presented its
report that recommends a major multi-dimensional programme to replace
20% of India?s diesel consumption. The National Planning Commission
has integrated the Ministries of Petroleum, Rural Development,
Poverty Alleviation and the Environmental Ministry and others.
One objective is to blend petro-diesel with a planned 13 Million
t of bio-diesel by 2013 (>>l000 times compared to the present
world Jatropha cultivation and production), produced mainly from
non-edible Jatropha oil, a smaller part from Pongomia.
For this end, eleven millions ha of presently unused lands are
to be cultivated with Jatropha (for comparison: annual loss of
Brazilian rain forest 2.4 Mio ha). A similar program was started
with Ethanol production from sugarcane molasses, which is to replace
5% of transport petrol in the first phase. Announcements and discussion
of this program have already now brought numerous institutions,
private investors and some farmers to prepare and even start with
work on a major Jatropha program. The move towards large-scale
utilization of Jatropha is thus mainly coming from the energy discussion,
with its increasing environmental and health burden and foreign
exchange cost; but as well from the Forestry and Rural Development
Sector, looking for future income potentials. In March 2004 a first
portion for a National Program on Jatropha was released with RS.
800 Crore (161) Mio. S/Euro) to support cultivation of Jatropha
on new fields and plantations of 200.000 ha. This is the first
portion of a total program approved with a volume of RS. 1.500
Core (300 Mio S/Euro) and 400.000 ha, to be realized within five
years. The program intends to replace 5% of diesel consumption
by 2006 with 2.6 Mio t of Jatropha bio-diesel produced on 2.2 Mio
ha, based on yields expected by the Government.
To plant 11 Mio ha Jatropha, the program is to become a "National
Mission" and mass movement and wants to mobilize a large number
of stakeholders including individuals, communities, entrepreneurs,
oil companies, business, industry, the financial sector as well
as Government and most of its institutions.
In the first phase, within a demonstration project, the "viability
of all components" is to be tested, developed and demonstrated
by Government with all its linkages in different parts of the country,
sufficient production of seeds and a wide information and education
of potential participants and stake holders to allow for a self-sustained
dissemination. The demonstration project consists of 2 phases,
each with 200.000 ha planted in 8 states of 2 x 25.000 ha "compact
area" each.
Each state will have one estenfication plant, which
is meant to be economical from 80.000 t of bio-diesel onward, expected
to come from 50 to 70000 ha each. Compact areas in each state will
he further subdivided into 2000 ha blocks of plantation to facilitate
supply of planting material, procurement of seed and primary processing
through expellers. Expected outputs from 400,000 ha are meant to be 0.5
Million t of bio-diesel, compost from the press cake, and massive
generation of employment (16 Mio days/year) for the poor. The program
is meant to assist to achieve emission standards and climatic targets
approved by Government, to improve degraded land resources, and
income to 1.9 Mio poor families at 4 families per ha, on a base
of 5 Rupees/kg of seed sold. For 2007, when the process is meant to move self-sustained, a
scheme of margin money, subsidy and loan is planned to be instituted.
Expansion of processing capacities is meant to run on a 30% subsidy,
60% loan, and 10% private capital basis. Additional support for
mainly market based "Phase II" from 2007 onwards, is sought from
International Funding Agencies, since the program addresses global
environmental concern and contributes to poverty alleviation. Spat~te
legislation on bio-fuels is recommended.
Land available for Jatropha curcas plantations (million hectares)
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