Faced with skyrocketing crude oil prices, a number of domestic and international auto giants like General Motors, Daimler Chrysler and Mahindra and Mahindra are counting on Jatropha as an alternative fuel option.

According to media reports, General Motors India has recently signed a pact with the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute {the organisation that conducts research in catalysts, chemicals, desalination, polymers (membranes and resins), non-conventional energy economic plants and biosalinit and other training programs}, to produce biodiesel based on jatropha oil. It has been learnt from reliable sources that under this proposal, with the aforesaid Bhavnagar-based organisation will conduct a research, produce and supply jatropha oil for two years, which in the form of biodiesel will be tested on GM vehicles. Furthermore, CSMCRI will also be utilising two acres of land at GM India's Talegaon plant at Maharashtra for Jatropha cultivation as part of the company's resolve to explore environment friendly operational solutions, reported PTI.

It may be recalled that General Motors India has pumped in nearly US$ 0.5 million to obtain biodiesel from Jatropha and test it on its vehicles at CSMCRI. During the first phase trials, GM manufactured vehicle were run over 25,000 kilometres on bio-diesel blended fuel and the content of bio-diesel as fuel ranged between 10-20 per cent during the testing phase. The company is also in the process of setting up phase II of the project, which involves a CSMCRI proposal to conduct experimental jatropha cultivation in small scale trial plantations on a wasteland in Gujarat for biodiesel application as CSR activity, reported PTI. Furthermore, the state govt has already been approached for obtaining 50-70 hectares of wasteland in Panchmahal to commence the Jatropha plantation project.

Jatropha oil is vegetable oil produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas, a plant that can grow in wastelands. Jatropha curcas grows almost anywhere, even on gravelly, sandy and saline soils. It can also thrive on the poorest stony soil and grow in the crevices of rocks.According to highly-placed sources, the government of India has set an indicative target for blending 20 per cent in petrol and non-edible oil from plants like Jatropha in diesel by 2017.

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