General Motors Joins US Department of Energy and CSMCRI to Develop Jatropha for Biofuel

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(Free-Press-Release.com) April 20, 2010 -- Ahmedabad - General Motors and the US Department of Energy (DOE) have formalized a five-year partnership with India’s Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), which is based in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, to develop jatropha as a sustainable biofuel energy crop.

The goal of the project is to demonstrate that jatropha, a plant traditionally considered a weed, can produce significant quantities of oil for commercial scale conversion to biodiesel. The partnership will also explore the development of new varieties of the plant that have high yields, can withstand adverse environmental conditions.

Jatropha is a drought-resistant, non-edible plant that can be grown commercially with minimal care on marginal land. Unlike corn and sugar cane, which are grown elsewhere for biofuels, jatropha is inedible. As a result, the cultivation of jatropha for biofuel does not negatively impact the food chain.

The new partnership will establish two new farms: a 33 hectare plot in Bhavnagar and a 20-hectare plot in Kalol. It will also oversee GM and CSMCRI’s existing 30-hectare jatropha farm in Bhavnagar.

According to Mr. Karl Slym, President and Managing Director of General Motors India, the tie-up reiterates the company’s commitment to green technology and alternative fuels. “If jatropha proves commercially viable, it will reduce India’s dependence on imported oil while cutting greenhouse gas emissions and promoting economic growth,” he said. “And if jatropha does indeed prove commercially viable, GM India will be ready to respond by introducing biodiesel-capable products.”

Dr. Pushpito Ghosh, Director of CSMCRI, said: “Jatropha is emerging as a promising feedstock choice and alternative fuel source in India. Lab-optimized strains of jatropha, produced through selective and marker-assisted breeding, will be cultivated by our partnership. CSMCRI, under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India will also play an important role in the cultivation of our jatropha plantations. A complete lifecycle analysis will be conducted to evaluate the environmental impact, starting with fertilizer production from raw materials and ending with the harvesting of the jatropha fruit, which contains the oil.”

GM has invested in next-generation ethanol startups Coskata Inc. and Mascoma Corp. to find ways to displace petroleum. In addition to cellulosic ethanol, the DOE and GM recognize the need to provide bio-based diesel alternative fuels that can replace fossil diesel. A significant portion of the global transportation fuel market in places such as India and Europe relies on diesel and cannot benefit from cellulosic ethanol technologies. For these markets, jatropha-based biodiesel has great potential as an alternative fuel.

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