Jatropha Biodiesel

15-MMGY FL Plant Planned to Use Jatropha Oil as Feedstock

BioFuel Journal
Myke Feinman, publisher
July/Aug '09

A Florida company June 30 announced plans to construct an integrated biodiesel plant that will crush jatropha seeds into oil for feedstock

The 15-million-gallon-per-year (MMGY) biodiesel plant will be built in Delray Beach, FL utilizing locally-grown jatropha oil as feedstock.

Delray Beach-based Ag-Oil is developing the $28 million project and also is researching growth practices for jatropha on a 103-acre parcel as a demonstration to area farmers..

According to Project Manager Brian Weprin (561-495-7554), construction on the plant, which also will include a crush operation for jatropha, is expected to begin by the end of this year and is expected to be completed in 2011.

Harvest, Crop Management:

Currently, the company is working with the University of Florida, Gainesville, Weprin noted, to crystallize harvesting methods and best-management practices for area farmers to grow jatropha on Ag-Oil’s 60- to 70-acre test parcel.

Jatropha typically is grown in subtropical climates. However, Weprin said, Ag-Oil believes it can grow the oilseed crop on marginal lands near Delray Beach.

“Harvesting jatropha can be very labor-intensive,” Weprin said. “You have to manually find the right seed pods and pick the right ones manually. However, three mechanical harvesters have been identified.”

“Our test parcel will be a showcase for farmers in the area,” Weprin noted.

“The highest yielding seeds and best management practices will be identified,” he said.

Potential Oil Yields:

Weprin said jatropha, a perennial, potentially could yield between 500 and 1,000 gallons of oil per acre.

For example, this compares favorably to the 50 gallons per acre from a soybean crop, he said.

“Plus, we will be taking the glycerin and jatropha seed cake and crushing it to create additional oil,” Weprin said.

Ag-Oil also is considering castor oil and algae as a feedstock.

According to Weprin, Ag-Oil’s proposed 15-MMGY plant will require approximately 10,000 acres of jatropha.

Project Partners:

For the project, Ag-Oil secured a $2.5 million state renewable energy grant.

Besides working with the University of Florida on jatropha best management and harvest practices, Ag-Oil also will be working with these researchers:

- United Environment and Energy, Horseheads, NY, researching continuous flow technology to process the biodiesel. In the future, this technology could reduce production costs up to 60%, Weprin said.

- Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago, IL, researching desalinization of glycerine.

- University of Southern Illinois, Carbondale, researching algae strains to increase yield and researching ways to treat seed cake and raw glycerol for additional oil feedstock.

The project’s equipment will cost $17 million, and the construction is estimated to cost $11 million, Weprin noted.