Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology

Jatropha Plantations and Palm Biodiesel in the Biofuel Industry

Nadir Davis^* Department of Mechanical Engineering, Howard University, Washington, USA
^*Correspondence: Nadir Davis, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Howard University, Washington, USA, Email:

Received: 04-Jul-2022, Manuscript No. JPEB-22-17436; Editor assigned: 07-Jul-2022, Pre QC No. JPEB-22-17436 (PQ); Reviewed: 21-Jul-2022, QC No. JPEB-22-17436; Revised: 28-Jul-2022, Manuscript No. JPEB-22-17436 (R); Published: 05-Aug-2022, DOI: 10.35248/2157-7463.22.13.471

Description

India's primary focus for biofuel production is the cultivation and processing of seeds from the highly oil-rich jatrophy plant (40%). Historical, functional, economic, environmental, moral, and political factors all play a role in this. Since jatropha oil may be used directly in diesel generators and engines after extraction without refining, it has been used for many years in India to meet the diesel fuel needs of isolated rural and forest communities. Jatropha has the ability to generate money locally because, with the right management, it can thrive in dry, marginal non-agricultural soils, giving communities and farmers the opportunity to use non-farm land for income generation. Additionally, increased jatropha oil production benefits India's economy on a macroeconomic or national scale by lowering the cost of fossil fuel imports for the country's primary transportation fuel, diesel. By reducing the amount of foreign currency used to purchase fuel, India can increase its expanding foreign currency reserves. Additionally, because jatropha oil is carbon-neutral, its widespread production will reduce the nation's carbon emissions. Finally, this biofuel is thought to be the most politically and morally acceptable option among India's current biofuel options because it does not require food-producing farmland for production (unlike corn or sugar cane ethanol or palm oil diesel); it also has no known negative effects on the massive amounts of grains and other essential agricultural products India produces to meet the food requirements of its enormous population. Other biofuels like corn ethanol or palm biodiesel that displace food crops from productive agricultural land have sharply increased the cost of staple foods like cereals and edible oils in other nations.

Many nations have politicized the need to meet the demand for fossil fuels with renewable sources in light of environmental concerns and to lessen dependence on them. It is thought that one of the best candidates for a biofuel is jatropha, despite the fact that this claim is made mostly without any supporting scientific or technological evidence. Numerous initiatives delivered substantial grants for extensive jatropha plantations (millions of hectares). Unfortunately, there hasn't been much improvement, and jatropha's contribution to the energy picture was minimal.The primary causes of failure appear to be the lack of high-yielding cultivars, extensive planting without first evaluating the planting materials, a knowledge gap, and a lack of basic research. Jatropha as a biofuel has thus faced a number of difficulties, including production, oil extraction, conversion, and usage as a sustainable biofuel. We discuss the difficulties and potential solutions for the biofuel industry's involvement in this chapter.

Many nations have politicized the need to meet the demand for fossil fuels with renewable sources in light of environmental concerns and to lessen dependence on them. It is thought that one of the best candidates for a biofuel is jatropha, despite the fact that this claim is made mostly without any supporting scientific or technological evidence. Numerous initiatives delivered substantial grants for extensive jatropha plantations (millions of hectares). Unfortunately, there hasn't been much improvement, and jatropha's contribution to the energy picture was minimal. The primary causes of failure appear to be the lack of high-yielding cultivars, extensive planting without first evaluating the planting materials, a knowledge gap, and a lack of basic research. Jatropha as a biofuel has thus faced a number of difficulties, including production, oil extraction, conversion, and usage as a sustainable biofuel. We discuss the difficulties and potential solutions for the biofuel industry's involvement in this chapter.

Jatropha is used in a variety of Jet fuel and biodiesel can both be produced from jatropha seed oil. In rural places, its wood, leaves, and fruits have been used as firewood. Some of its typical applications include the creation of soap and cosmetics, as well as the dying of clothing and fishing nets. Jatropha has a long history of being used as a medicine. In the current pharmaceutical business, jatropha's medicinal chemicals can be employed as anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, healing, homeostatic, anti-cholinesterase, anti-diarrheal, anti-hypertensive, and anticancer agents. Toxicological research must be carried out prior to using jatropha and/or its derivatives as a medicinal treatment because it contains toxins. Jatropha seed cake, which contains a higher percentage of protein and other nutrients, can be used to augment organic fertilizers and animal feed. Jatropha was utilized in ancient times for hedges and to curb soil erosion.