The plant is estimated to cost P8.5 Million and will produce about 20,000 liters of biodiesel a month. It will also be supported by a 100 ha. jatropha plantation which will cost about Php 4 million. This was reported by Mr. Alejandro Teves Escaño, president of the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food.
Funding for this facility will come from the Asian Development Bank. Construction will begin once the funds have been released. I am assuming that this will take about a year to develop. Then maybe another 6 months to get their biodiesel certified with the Department of Energy.
They were projecting farmers to earn P28,000 to P52,000 a year with Jatropha planting, I wonder however if it will hold true in General Santos? One thing I have to point out is that General Santos is one of the most arid regions in the Philippines with soil structure being mostly sandy. Looking at the rainfall data of the neighboring town of Alabel, you can see that it is consistently low all through out the year. Then again, that is the beauty of the Jatropha plant, that it can grow in inhospitable terrains.
Article here
Source of Rainfall Data, Dept of Agriculture, Sarangani Province.
Category: Jatropha
