Salt Of Cargill & Jatropha Of D1 Oils.

Thank you KD for this important news. A loss making company is being promoted by Indian government. India is the only country in the world promoting poisonous Jatropha on industrial scale so rich in India and rich nations may fuel their cars.

India has sold out 5 million hectares of land for about Rs. 30,000 per acre, the cost of initial investment to plant Jatropha in mostly southern states.

On going through company’s own website I found India is the only country to have let its cultivated turn in to Jatropha poisonous fields.

But the most amusing of the folders inform that India is “Having once suffered famines and chronic food shortages, India is now a net exporter of agricultural products. This turnaround is in part due to the abilities and expertise of Indian agronomists, who are now turning their attention to biofuel crops, particularly jatropha.” Actually food production per capita has declined and india imports 5 million tonnes of vegetable oil. INSTEAD OF INDIGENOUS PRODUCTION THAN IMPORTS OF VEGETABLE OILS, OUR LEADERS WANT US TO GROW JATROPHA. THEY ALWAYS SHAME US. 

Another page refers to widespread poverty –“ India’s economy is diverse and complex. Despite having some of the world’s leading technology services, more than 70% of India’s one billion people are dependent on agriculture. Farming contributes 25% of India's GDP. Rural poverty and unemployment are widespread; the need for sustainable agricultural development remains great.”

 Cargill wanted to acquire 1 million hectares of land in Kutch but people of India threw it out. Now D1 Oils is offered 5 million hectares almost free for Jatropha cultivation.

People of our nation are smart and shall soon throw out D1 Oils Plc. Let me remind you, Cargill who wanted to acquire 1 million hectares was thrown out.

Ravinder Singh

http://www.d1plc.com/global/india_vision.php

D1 Oils India - Vision

India is the centre of D1's most ambitious jatropha planting program. Our Indian joint venture, D1 Mohan Bio Oils, aims to plant 100,000 hectares of land with jatropha in 2005, and has set a target of 5 million hectares to be planted over the next five years. If our Indian operations achieve their full potential, we will have made a significant step to establishing D1 as one of the leading businesses in planting and refining biodiesel in Asia. We expect that our operations will be able to meet a major portion of India’s demand for biodiesel. Our first refinery should be producing biodiesel in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, by 2006.

India already has a lead in the research and development of jatropha biodiesel feedstock. Our aim is to become the world’s leader in the agronomy of biofuels: improving the characteristics of jatropha, refining propagation and planting techniques, and maximising production of its byproducts.

India’s economy is diverse and complex. Despite having some of the world’s leading technology services, more than 70% of India’s one billion people are dependent on agriculture. Farming contributes 25% of India's GDP. Rural poverty and unemployment are widespread; the need for sustainable agricultural development remains great.

Our business will gainfully use millions of hectares of waste or marginal land across India and help alleviate rural poverty by generating thousands of rural jobs and offering farmers an additional source of income. The 100,000 hectares we plan to plant in India this year could generate up to 50,000 jobs in rural communities. We estimate that our five year planting programme could generate over a billion man days of employment.

http://www.d1plc.com/global/india_sci.php

The Science of Jatropha

Having once suffered famines and chronic food shortages, India is now a net exporter of agricultural products. This turnaround is in part due to the abilities and expertise of Indian agronomists, who are now turning their attention to biofuel crops, particularly jatropha.

Since jatropha was introduced into India over 500 years ago by Portuguese sailors, hundreds of sub-species have developed through cross-fertislisation and adaptation to the subcontinent's very varied climatic conditions. As a result, jatropha oil yields and growing characteristics vary from region to region.

D1 is researching the qualities and characteristics of jatropha varieties that flourish in different locations. D1 will select and propagate strains of jatropha that produce the best quality seeds and the highest oil yields under different climatic conditions. D1 is currently exploring micropropagation techniques for mass production of seedlings with the necessary characteristics for each planting area.

http://www.d1plc.com/energy/europe.php

http://www.d1plc.com/pdf/annual_report.pdf

September 23, 2005

Dear Shri. Ravinder Singhji,

Kindly refer to the following article that has appeared in The Economic Times

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1240294.cms

Jatropha biofuel refinery in Chennai

PTI [FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2005 12:57:26 PM]

COIMBATORE: The UK-Based D1 Oils Plc would commission its first refinery for producing biodiesel from Jatropha in Chennai early next year, a senior company executive has said.

D1 Oils, which has formed a joint venture with Mohan Breweries and distilleries, would produce 8,000 tonnes of oil in the initial year. It has taken up large scale jatropha cultivation in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh, Philip Wood, Chief Executive Officer of D1 oils, said.

Briefing reporters on the deliberations on the first International conference on Jatropha in the city, Wood told reporters here last night, that the company proposed to cultivate jatropha in five million hectare of land and produce 2.7 tonnes oil per hectare by five years.

Considered to be the fuel of future, this biofuel has tremendous potential across the World, particularly developing countries like India, Wood said adding that it was also proposed to engage good number of growers in contract farming.

The 3-day conference, attended by more than 25 renowned experts from South East Asia, Africa, the US and Europe, besides academic staff from leading Indian institutions, discussed a five-year programme of supporting and developing the Jatropha crop to supply for the manufacture of bio-diesel, he said.

The discussions and ideas generated at the conference would support the development of Indian bio-diesel industry providing rural employment and energy security, Wood said.

http://www.d1plc.com/energy/europe.php

http://www.d1plc.com/pdf/annual_report.pdf

Biodiesel in Europe – Targets Will Drive Demand

Biodiesel is Europe's dominant alternative fuel. As part of a range of measures drawn up in response to international agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the EU is encouraging greater use of biofuels. Under the 2003 EU Biofuels Directive, a 2% share of the energy content of all petrol and diesel for transport must come from renewable sources, including both biodiesel and bioethanol. This must rise to 5.75% by the end of 2010.

Tax exemptions and national targets are driving demand across the EU. France and Germany are actively introducing forecourt blends. All diesel sold in France is already blended with 2% biodiesel. The reduction in UK duty on biodiesel by 20 pence per litre in April 2002 is also encouraging investment.

Europe has dominated the biodiesel industry to date with 90% of global production, but escalating demand is outpacing supply. The Directive will create a demand of at least 9.2 million tonnes of biodiesel per year by 2010. However, current refining capacity is only 2.2 million tonnes per year.

Rapeseed oil continues to be the dominant feedstock in Europe, supplying 80% of total biodiesel requirements. Reaching EU targets will require the allocation of more agricultural land to rapeseed production. It has been argued that sufficient land will be available for increased planting under the EU set-aside program. Yet this may not be realistic, as the land is often located in areas unsuitable for production, and much of it has designated environmental value.

Rapeseed is a relatively expensive crop to grow. It is so intensive it requires frequent rotation and extensive use of expensive fossil-fuel fertilisers (over which there are also environmental concerns). Moreover, it is currently grown under a complex subsidy regime. If set-aside land is not available, rapeseed will have to compete with food crops for scarce arable land and the resulting biodiesel may be too expensive without subsidy. Although it will remain a key feedstock, the extent to which rapeseed can meet Europe’s growing demand is open to question.

D1 believes that the national targets for biofuels cannot be efficiently met from EU domestic rape oil production. We are promoting alternative solutions using oil-bearing energy crops that grow in the developing world, primarily jatropha.

 Biodiesel in the Americas

Ethanol has dominated the alternative fuels market in North and South America, but production of biodiesel is growing.

USA
Biodiesel production is now at record levels due to recent tax incentives. Approximately 20 million gallons of biodiesel were produced in 2004, compared to 200,000 gallons produced in 1999. Biodiesel is on sale at over 300 retail filling stations, and is also used by over 500 major fleets.

Canada
Federal excise taxes on biodiesel have been reduced, and a 10% renewable fuel mandate split between ethanol and biodiesel is under consideration by provincial governments.

Brazil
Brazil has built a leading position in ethanol production, and now aims to become a biodiesel powerhouse. The government’s National Biodiesel Programme to promote the mass production, distribution and marketing of biodiesel has mandated a 2% biodiesel blend by 2008, rising to 5% by 2013.

India – Potential for Lead in Production of Biodiesel

India is a key location for D1. We have established jatropha planting and refining operations in what we believe will be one of the world’s most exciting biodiesel markets. We also intend to make India a centre of excellence for the science of jatropha production that will support D1's operations in Africa and Asia Pacific.

India has growing energy and transport fuel needs and its domestic mineral oil production is not sufficient to meet rapidly increasing demand. However, the Indian government has one of the most developed biodiesel promotion programmes in the world, with jatropha feedstock playing a major role.

Since its introduction by Portuguese traders in the 16th century, jatropha has been grown in India as a medicinal plant and hedge crop. Hundreds of species of jatropha now thrive in India's varied regional climates, and Indian agronomists are already experienced in the science of jatropha cultivation. India has the potential to become not only a major consumer of biodiesel, but also one of the world’s leading producers.