Jatropha curcas news     1998

7. 10. 98
Village Electrification Using Jatropha Curcas Oil. In Newsletter No. 5 of the Better World Workshop Carl Bielenberg published a description and an economic analysis of village electrification with locally available Jatropha oil. "Small autonomous village electrification projects can be implemented at a small fraction of the cost required to extend grid electrification to rural areas.... We envision distribution within a small radius, probably no more than 500 m, from a centrally located generator."
Carl Bielenberg, The Better World Workshop
RFD 1, Marshfield, Vermont 05658, USA
Telefax: +1 802 456 8993

1. 9. 98
Continued Testing of a VW Rabbit Auto- mobile with Jatropha Oil
The VW test car is set up for dual fueling. In its present form the car must be switched from vegetable oil to diesel operation about 10 minutes or 5 miles prior to shutdown at the end of the day to ensure cold starting the following day.
The test vehicle has run 18.623 km since the conversion, or 341 hours total engine operating time. 220 of the total hours were fueled with jatropha, and the balance hours were fueled on diesel for starting and shutdown and local driving.
Carl Bielenberg, The Better World Workshop
RFD 1, Marshfield, Vermont 05658, USA
Telefax: +1 802 456 8993

30. 9. 98
Jatropha-fueled cookers & lamps
Erwin Protzen and Jonathan Otto started the development of a Jatropha-fueled cooker and a Jatropha fueled lamp in Tanzania. The prototypes of both units are working well. See original papers:
"Fuel, Fertilizer and Family Income" and "On the Development of a Prototype Jatropha fueled Jiko and a Jatropha fueled Lamp"

10. 9. 98
The Use of Jatropha Curcas Oil for Soap and Energy in Rural Senegal
The population of several villages confirmed the feasibility of Jatropha oil substitution for diesel fuel and for soap production. The villagers harvested more than 6 tons of seeds. Oil was extracted by a hand-press. The oil was used as fuel for engine demonstrations and for trainig in soap production.
Carl Bielenberg, The Better World Workshop
RFD 1, Marshfield, Vermont 05658, USA
Telefax: +1 802 456 8993

1. 8. 98
After a first trial to devellop an Jatropha oil cooker by the Technical University of Berlin a second trial was done by FAKT. Both activities didn't succeed into a plant oil cooker. Now the University of Hohenheim, Germany, is trying to devellop an simple plant oil cooker, with financial aid of the Rockefeller Foundation. Description of the project.

31. 7. 98
It seems that the detoxification of the Jatropha oil cake is possible. That means that the Jatropha oil methyl ester can be offered to the market at a very competetive price of about  DM 0,50 or US$ 0,30 per litre.
Comm. by the Jatropha project in Nicaragua

0. 7. 98
A Jatropha workshop has been organized by the Rockefeller Foundation in May 1998 in Harare; Zimbabwe. Read the concept paper for the conference.  A short report on the conference will be published soon by POPA (see POPA-Newsletter 10)

28. 7. 98
A demo version of a Jatropha CD-ROM (the Jatropha project in Mali)  has been accomplished. It may be ordered at

25. 7. 98
The latest number of bagani tulu, the Jatropha curcas newsletter, can be ordered at:

15. 6. 98
A short report about the Jatropha workshop in Harare will be published soon by Geoff Oliver, POPA, Harare, Zimbabwe (see POPA-Newsletter 10).

31. 5. 98
Under the name of Flora Joy a soap made of pure Jatropha oil is produced by Geoff Oliver from POPA in Harare; Zimbabwe

25. 3. 98
African Solar Summit in Bamako, Mali, organized by UNESCO
During this meeting of government organizations (mainly ministries) two Jatropha projects were presented: one from Zimbabwe, the other from Mali. These projects should be realized within the years until 2005.

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