Energy Plantation - Jatropha Curcas

The future world will be facing energy crisis if alternative sources for petroproducts are not found out. To add more fragrance in the garland she wear, MCRC with futuristic vision has been involved and developing alternative energy sources. Along with bio-fuel gases, the major renewable sources, the higher plants would also serve replacing the conventional fuels. Promising oil from plant sources almost equalent to the petroproducts is Jatropha oil. Few drawbacks in those natural sources need to be attended by suitable product enhancement or modifications in application areas. MCRC has been attempting on those aspects also at laboratory level and expected to come out with package of practices in near future.

The energy plantation approach is innovative by it own due to the utilisation of unutilized areas under Wind Energy Generators (WEGs). In the last three years, MCRC-CUMI has initiated activities to set up pilot energy plantation in the wind farms around Vallioor, the southern part of Tamil Nadu. Each WEG cover almost 4 acres around each and which remains mostly barren as wasted lands.

Jatropha curcas, a multipurpose hardy energy plant has been identified and selected for plantation. It is very well suited to tropical area, has low water requirement and can withstand long period of drought, by shedding leaves to reduce transpiration loss and forming organic mulch around the base to prevent surface evaporation. Apart from preventing soil erosion, it enhances soil nutrition and is well suited for wasteland development.

The plant grows to maximum height of 4 Meters has life over 50 years and yields full output of 4 Kgs of seed per year after 5 years of planting. Around 3000 plants are grown in one hectare and based on 30 % of extractable oil, thermal energy is available to the extent of 30 Millions K.Cals/hectare. An additional revenue of 5 % is realized for every WEG.

In addition, in our system, the Jatropha Curcas serves as protective plant to medicinal herbs and creepers enabling development of multi-tier agricultural system. The model plantation is given first economic yeild and first ever detailed protocol for plantation of Jatropha is prepared for distribution.

Success of this pioneering initiative, will enable the spread of the cultivation of Jatropha in the entire belt of wind energy generation area measuring over
4000 ha of dry land. The plenty of waste-wasted lands would be utilised for cultivation of this plant and similar plants like Pungamia sp. and paradise tree. Apart from generating biomass energy, it also leads to increase in rural economic activities from the plant products.