India’s gold mine in alternative fuel

The plant in the image above could be the potential alternative source for fuel. This poisonous plant is called jatropha and the Indian government has high hopes of this plant replacing 20% of its diesel consumption in five years.

To achieve this, the Indians are planting jatropha in a special-purpose 98 million acres of land to produce the biodiesel.

And elsewhere in Asia, other crops are being tested to reduce oil dependence – from palm oil to sugar cane, coconuts to cow dung.

There is a good reason for these governments in looking for these alternatives. Soaring oil prices are putting a huge dent on these economies, most of whom have no own oil fields. Furthermore, with oil supply said to be in decline, a successful alternative source will be financially rewarding in the near future.

Not that these alternative plans go without any complaints. Experts believe that these experimenting governments will only cause more ecological damage. One example they cite is the Indonesian plan to convert millions of acres of rain forest into palm oil plantations.

There is also the question of land competition between plants grown for food and those for alternative fuel – some sort of food versus fuel ethical debate.

Again, this is where the jatropha plant is said to the true alternative as it can be grown anywhere without competing for food crops. Neither does it appear to threaten rain forest.

Now that’s an appealing start for alternative fuel. So far only the Indians are looking into this plant. But with BP spending US$9.4 million and D1 Oils US$20 million to study jatropha in India, I think the Indian government has struck a gold mine.

more read:

Asia races to find crops to replace imported oil (via msnbc.com)