Background

The ever-increasing demand for and the dwindling mineral fuel oil supply have stimulated the rapid expansion of the bio-fuel industry. The brisk development of the biodiesel industry in EU especially in Germany, has led to the growth of other sources of sustainable vegetable oil. In EU the “Directive 2003/EC on the promotion of the Use of Bio-fuels or Other Renewables for Transport” requires member nations to target a substitution of 2% of fossil fuel to 5.75% by 2010. This implies a demand of bio-diesel to reach 9 million tones by 2010.

Rapeseed oil production in the EU for the raw material is only 5 million tonnes with half the amount for use in the food industry. This projected shortage has encouraged many vegetable oil producing countries to supply the potential biodiesel market in the EU.

The signatories of the Kyoto Protocol are behind schedule in the reduction of greenhouse gases in Europe and as such the demand for biodiesel would continue to grow regardless of crude oil prices.

According to Oil World, (October, 2006) the rising demand for regular diesel blended with vegetable oil in Europe amid high crude oil prices could drive palm oil prices higher. The market for palm oil would ‘explode’ should the pace of growth in bio-diesel demand be maintained.

Further, the demand for vegetable oils, including palm oil could outstrip supply by as much as five million tonnes. It is believed that such trends would continue in the near and medium terms

In such a dilemma, Jatropha oil stands tall as an inedible, tropical oil to be developed solely for the biodiesel industry, compared to edible palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia and other edible oils such as rapeseed, soybean, sunflower and other soft oils from the USA, Brazil and the EU.

Curcas Oil N.V. offers a variety of products derived from the Jatropha Curcas plant.
You’ll find further information here.