Jatropha Oil for Guatemala

The Guatemalan Company OCTAGON planted 2500 ha of Jatropha curcas L. to produce biodiesel, a fuelcheaper and less polluting than thode derived from petroleum. Cultivation began in november thanks to 90,000 € (110,000 $) donated by the Finnish government's "Alliance for Energy and the Environment".

The physic nut plant has grown in Guatemala for many years, but it had not been studied as a fuel source until recently, Octagon spokesman Ricardo Asturias told Tierramérica.

"After several studies, it was found that used as a fuel it is capable of moving several different types of engines", he said. The oil is extracted from the seed and then processed into biodiesel.

Octagon hopes to try out the new fuel soon.