Sri Lanka jatropha biodiesel project proposed by University of Colombo academic, MBA students
In Sri Lanka, Eco-friends, founded by MBA students at the University of Colombo distributed a plan for a jatropha based-biodiesel plant, the first in Sri Lanka. The group is seeking financing and did not disclose the target completion date or capacity of the venture.
A study by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Sri Lanka warned that biofuel production in India and China would severely impact the two countries’ water supplies. Charlotte de Fraiture, an IWMI scientist and lead author of the biofuels study said that India and China “account for almost 70 percent of projected worldwide growth in oil demand between now and 2030. Jatropha is a low-water usage plant well-known for drought-resistance.
Jatropha has been the subject of exploding levels of global interest. In Kenya, the Green Power East Africa jatropha biodiesel plant in Nairobi is attracting much attention. D1 Oils has plans to plant more than 80,000 acres in Swaziland, Zambia, Madagascar, Mali and Malawi. Also, Brazilian and US organizations have invested $500 million in the development of jatropha in Mali.
