Thenergo to invest in a jatropha nuts power plant

Thenergo, a developer of combined heat and power (CHP) energy systems, said it will invest 11 million € to develop a CHP plant at Merksplas, Belgium, to be fuelled by jatropha nuts.

Thenergo claims the 'Greenpower' project will be operational for up to 8,000 hours per year, or approximately 11 months of the year, generating 6MWth of heat for two industrial partners, and 9MWe of electricity for the equivalent of 20,000 households.

The unit is expected to be operational in February 2009.

Greenpower is a joint venture between Thenergo, the majority shareholder and operator, and the Quirynen and the Dielis families.

Greenpower will run on bio-oil extracted from the nuts of the jatropha plant. The jatropha nut is a non-edible fruit grown on semi-arid or waste land in South East Asia.