By: Teguh Suprijanto
In the recent past, bio-diesel derived from plant species has been major renewable source of energy. Among various plant Jatropha curcas has been chosen as most potential species for varying situations. Jatropha curcas is considered most potential not only to the growers but also to the processors and end users. To the rural society, the crop can create regular employment opportunities as it provides never ending marketing potential.
Due to potential demand and better marketing opportunities, cultivation of Jatropha appear viable. Jatropha may not replace other important food crops since it is meant for flood free wastelands and unutilized fallow lands/less productive lands and in turn will not have major impact on cropping pattern.
Among the many species, which yield oil as source of energy in the form of biodiesel, Jatropha curcas L. has been identified as most suitable seed bearing plant due to its various favorable attributes like hardy nature, short gestation period, adaptability in a wide range agro-climatic conditions, high oil recovery and quality of oil etc. It can be planted on degraded land through Joint Forest Management, farmer’s field boundaries, road sides, both sides railway track, fallow lands and as agroforestry crops. It grows up to a high of 5 m and can be maintained to desired height and shape by trimming and pruning.
In Indonesia Jatropha curcas is found in almost all the district and is generally grown, as a live fence for protection of agricultural fields from damage by livestock as cattle or goat does not eat it. Jatropha is not an alternative to agriculture or plantation but it is an addition to it.
Jatropha curcas is a tropical shrub native to Mexico and Central America, but it is widely distributed in wild and semi cultivated stands in Latin America, Africa, India, and South East Asia, including Indonesia.
Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with diesel oil to create a biodiesel blend. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, non toxic and essentially free of sulfur and aromatic. Biodiesel is made through a chemical process culled transesterification where by the glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil. The process leaves behind two products, methyl esters and glycerin / glycerol.
The Jatropha curcas plant holds promise as an environmentally and socially sustainable source of oil for the production of the green fuel, biodiesel. It is shrub that does not require large amounts of water yet produces nuts with high oil content. Jatropha can be grown on marginal land, its produce is inedible, and so can be grown without competing with food crops.
Many alternative Biodiesel fuels have been shown to have better exhaust emissions than traditional diesel fuel. Jatropha biodiesel holds promise as fuel alternatives for diesel engine, Depletion of the Primary Fuels, biodiesel are agriculture oriented. Jatropha biodiesel are non toxic, bio degradable and renewable fuel. The severe emission regulations in the world have placed design limitations on heavy duty diesel engines. The trend towards cleaner burning fuel is growing worldwide and it is possible through Jatropha bio diesel.
The Jatropha curcas starts yielding from the second year onwards and continues for 50 years. The meal after extraction an excellent organic manure (38 % Protein, N : P : K ration 2.7 : 1.2 : 1). Jatropha quickly establishes itself and will produce seeds round the year if irrigated. Other than extracting biodiesel from Jatropha curcas plant, the leaf and the bark are used for various other industrial and pharmaceutical uses. Approximately 31 to 37 % of oil extracted from the Jatropha curcas seed. It can be used for any diesel engine without modification.
Biofuels are gaining importance in the light of increasing energy demand, especially fossil fuels which are non renewable. Biodiesel are renewable, biodegradable, non-hazardous and safer for air, water and soil and its use reduces the emission of greenhouse gases.
Indonesia has set itself a target to increase the use of biodiesels to 3 per cent of the country’s total fuel consumption by 2010, displacing 10 per cent of fossil fuel import.
The main products of Jatropha plant are: Crude Jatropha Oil (CJO), Pure Plant Oil (PPO) or Straight Jatropha Oil (SJCO), and Biodiesel. The extraction process of Jatropha becomes oil is done by mechanical way, using pressing machine. There are two kinds of pressing equipment, one is using hydraulic press machine and the other one using screw press machine. Each of the equipment has each weakness and advantage, its depend on the level of oil production. The sorted dried seed of Jatropha can be pressed by pressing machine, the result are CJO and waste. To purified the CJO is done by filtering it and it will be gained PPO and sludge. Jatropha Crude Oil can be used as substitution of kerosene, it can be directly use in modified stove or it is mixed with kerosene. To get the biodiesel fuel, PPO as a filtering result should be process through transesterification and esterification. The transesterification is a process for decreasing free acid contains. If the contains of free acid too high, it needs to be process into esterification first, then it will be continued into transesterification process.
THE PROSPECT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF JATROPHA & THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BIODIESEL INDUSTRY IN EAST JAVA PROVINCE
To support the establishment of biodiesel in East Java, whether it is feasible or not, it has been done survey and field study for three months, covered 12 districts, they are: Banyuwangi, Jember, Bondowoso, Lumajang, Pasuruan, Malang, Kediri, Mojokerto, Blitar, Tulungagung, Pacitan and Tuban. The method of survey which is used for that purpose was collecting both secondary and primary data. The collecting primary data was done by distributing questionnaire and direct interview to farmers, members of farmers group, the chairman of farmers group, the extension workers, specialist extension workers, the head of the local / district Department of Agriculture, and direct observation to the field area. The secondary data were collected consist of rain fall, the composition of inhabitant (monographic), various kinds of jobs, area map, etc. Those data were collected from the office of Sub District, the related office, the office of Planning and Development Board, and the Central Statistic Bureau. The data was compiled , tabulated, and it was analyzed, as well as it was directed to the specific need, based on criteria parameter, such as rain fall, the altitude, water resource, the daily wage earner, cultivated land layer, the availability of work forces, and economic value of competitor commodities compared to Jatropha.
The 12 Districts were chosen as the target of survey and observation it was based on the consideration of existing plants in the area and the readiness of its area development.
There are three important points as the result of the survey, first is about the way of the cultivation system of Jatropha, second is about the crucial seedling, and third is about the process of refinery of biodiesel. So far, the farmer plants the jatropha mostly on the marginal soil and it is categories as a secondary crop, they planted as intercropping, as live fence on their farm without any care at all, and they only took the seeds or steam cutting from local jatropha surrounding their farm as the material for planting. That’s why the production of jatropha so small, on the average only 1.2 – 2 ton / hectare. If there is a farmer who tried planting jatropha in monoculture system, he didn’t use a good seeds and it still didn’t cultivated properly. The process to produce biodiesel from Jatropha commonly through de gumming first, it takes time process and it is costly. Balittri (The Research Institute for Spices and Industrial Plants, belong to the Indonesian Government) in Sukabumi has been producing superior seed of Jatropha from plant selection method and they produced biodiesel from Jatropha using reactor without de gumming process. So it cuts the cost and time significantly for producing the biodiesel. The superior plant of Jatropha (IP3P) from Balittri can produce 12 ton / hectare.
It was found during the survey, in Mojokerto area, the farmer grows Jatropha in the raised path, with 1.5 x 1.5 m spacing , the performance of the plant looks so good, it was seen many fruits, mature fruit, young fruit and flowers in the same plant. After analyzed it, we conclude that the Jatropha plant that’s grows by the farmer has been gotten the full sunlight and even though it didn’t care much, the plant got nutrition supply from the root which was taken when the farmer fertilizing the rice field. The root of the Jatropha it self didn’t inundated by the water because the raised path was constructed bigger and higher by the farmer. The growth of main crop (the rice / paddy field) didn’t get any bother at all because the farmer always pruning and trimming of the Jatropha in order to get the branches which can produce more fruits. Still in Mojokerto, the existing plant was found as the biggest area compared to other 11 districts has been surveyed, and in the area also found that the group of farmers plants Jatropha with monoculture system as wide as 150 hectares.
Based on the result of the survey, Mojokerto is considered as the place of biodiesel factory/industry. The reason is that the existing plant of Jatropha is the biggest one, and the promising development of Jatropha in the area, as it is also supported by the social and the positive attitude of the most farmers in the area. Another reason is just because Mojokerto is close distance to Surabaya which is the entry point gate of export of the biodiesel , since the orientation of biodiesel industry for mostly export allocation and the rest of the production will be marketed domestically, and Surabaya is the right place for marketing biodiesel and other derivative products of Jatropha.
The planting of Jatropha will cooperate with the local farmer through nucleus and plasma system, using the superior seed from research station of Jatropha such as Balittri and will utilize raise path with certain spacing of planting, then it will be converted into hectare. The factory of biodiesel will be built with the factory growth concept, it is suited with the supply of nut of Jatropha as the main material for processing to produce biodiesel. The factory will be designed and directed with the capacity of 150 ton nut per day to be processed. To materialize the project, it needs approximately USD 10 million for both investment and operational cost. The comprehensive proposal/business plan has already made. Any party are interested in this project, please contact us via e-mail address: tgh_55@yahoo.com.
* From various sources, survey & research
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Jatropha is a plant oil-producing environment-friendly