Diesel
Practical Action
Jatropha (also known as the purging nut) is currently regarded a as one of the most potentially
promising plants for biodiesel oil production and research on its use is being carried in many
regions of the tropics. Traditional Jatropha has been used as a living fence, the oil is non-edible
but has been used for lighting or in making soap. It can produce 500 to 1000 litres per hectare.
Practical Action Latin America (Known as Soluciones Prácticas) has carried out work on
Biodiesel in Peru, documents about the work are on the Spanish language website
http://www.solucionespracticas.org.pe.
In India Professor Pushpito Gosh, director of the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research
Institute in Bhavnagar Gujarat, has researched the characteristics of all the domestic non-edible
vegetable oils and found Jatropha to be the most promising. He is now working on the first
Jatropha project in the region supported by the German DEG – German Investment and
Development Company. Using existing conditions and then converted into biodiesel through a
pilot plant using a cold press method. Fuel specialists from Daimlerchrysler AG tested the end
product which met EU standards.
In Tanzania, Ghana, Malawi and Indonesia the German company Energiebau Solarstromsysteme
GmbH has supplied systems for decentralised power and introduced hybrid systems with solar
and Jatropha biodiesel generators.
Energiebau Solarstromsysteme GmbH
Heinrich-Rohlmann-Str. 17
50829 Köln
Tel. +49(0)221 98966-0
Fax +49(0)221 98966-11
E-mail info@energiebau.de
Website: http://www.energiebau.de/
Reinhard Henning is a consultant in alternative energy and biodiesel oil extraction and use. He
has worked with GTZ / Tinytech in Nepal and is currently working in Madagascar on the Jatropha
tree integration into soil erosion control activities. He is also working in India Tamil Nadu where
they are looking to produce fuel from Jatropha and are interested in the Manual Screw press of
Practical Action. The extract by Rainhard Henning is shown below with links to the Jatropha
website, which includes a section on stoves.
The availability of alternative fuels for IC engines means that engines are still important
for stationary applications to provide shaft power, particularly at the lower end of the
power range.
Renewable energy sources
When choosing the type of power system for use in rural areas, renewable energy options should
also be considered. Renewable energy sources, such as wind power, solar power, hydro power,
and biomass energy can be harnessed locally and have low running costs. The dependence upon
external market fluctuations is removed and there are no transport costs.
Sustainability has become another issue which many people are considering when choosing their
power supplies. Renewable energy systems are less damaging to the environment.
In some cases hybrid or mixed systems are used to provide a flexible and cost effective
alternative to diesel or petrol only systems. These are systems that combine two or more
technologies which enhance one another’s capabilities. For example, a wind turbine can be used
in conjunction with a diesel generating set. When the output from the wind turbine drops below
a certain power level, due to lack of wind, the diesel generator can be switched in to
compensate. These systems can be a combination of purely renewable energy technologies or
combine fossil fuel energy technologies depending on the circumstances. Careful planning is
needed when considering such a system.
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