GM, US Dept of Energy to develop jatropha for biofuel

General Motors (GM) and the Department of Energy (DOE), United States have formalised a five-year partnership with India’s Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, to develop jatropha as a sustainable biofuel energy crop.

The partnership aims to demonstrate that jatropha can produce significant quantities of oil for commercial scale conversion to biodiesel. Jatropha is a drought-resistant, non-edible plant that can be grown commercially with minimal care on marginal land.

As a result, the cultivation of jatropha for biofuel does not negatively impact the food chain. The new partnership will establish a 33-hectare plot in Bhavnagar and a 20-hectare plot in Kalol. It will also oversee GM and CSMCRI’s existing 30-hectare jatropha farm in Bhavnagar.

Karl Slym, President and Managing Director, General Motors India said, “If jatropha proves commercially viable, it will reduce India’s dependence on imported oil while cutting greenhouse gas emissions and promoting economic growth.”

GM has invested in next-generation ethanol startups Coskata Inc and Mascoma Corp to find ways to displace petroleum.