Aston Lloyd Research

Scientists have made a breakthrough in mapping out the genetic code of wheat, opening up the development of new wheat strains which are more resilient to harsh conditions and disease and deliver higher yields.

Higher oil prices and currency movements have led to projections of petrol prices soaring, with the potential to rise by 8% (or 9p per litre) by January. This is fuelling demand for alternative fuels, especially biofuels from crops such as Jatropha.

RMI Petrol chairman Brian Maddersin has predicted that prices at the pump will soon reach an all-time high, saying, “We could be seeing new record pump prices within six months”.

The development of alternative fuels is rapidly increasing as oil prices continue to rise, alongside increasing concern of the environmental impact of tradition fossil fuels, not least the worries over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill last month. One such fuel being encouraged by a number of environmentalists and energy experts is biofuel produced from the Jatropha tree.

President and CEO of refining company Neste Oil, Matti Lievonen, predicts that the demand for renewable diesel is on the up and Europe alone will consume around 20 million tonnes as more stringent mandates are coming into force across the continent.

‘Globally we’re currently seeing about 10 million tonnes (a year) of demand for renewable biodiesel,’ he said.

Asia is also expected to consume larger amounts of the renewable fuel. By the year 2030 the population is expected to reach 1 billion and this will drive up the demand for energy by 50%.

Mr Ric van de Water, formerly with Royal Dutch Shell has joined Waterland International’s Board of Directors. Mr van de Water, a career executive at Royal Dutch Shell has joined the company’s board of directors as Director of Future Fuels with a mandate to further develop sales of Waterland Jatropha oil to the airline industry.

Mr van de Water joins PT Waterland International as Director of Future Fuels after an exemplary, thirty-two year career at Royal Dutch Shell. Mr van de Water, an expert in hydro-carbons and fuel additives, has Waterland’s mandate to develop clientele in the aviation industry for Waterland’s Jatropha oil.

“Having spent over 30 years at Royal Dutch Shell, I have witnessed many events in the Petro-Chemical industry, yet none as profound as the legislation that has been passed in the EU which imposes the use of bio-fuels on the transportation industry,” stated Mr. Van de Water, newly appointed Director of Waterland.

Mr. Van de Water has been brought in by Waterland executives in order to target airlines for the sale of Waterland’s Jatropha oil. Dr. William Nolten, CEO of Waterland stated, “We are proud to have Mr. Van de Water on board. Adding him to our company is the culmination of one year of discussions. The fact that several airlines such as Air New Zealand, Continental, and Japan Airlines have announced that they have successfully run test flights of bio-fuel (including jatropha) and achieved a high degree of success, was the turning point in bringing him in to our company.”

The aviation industry’s largest engine manufacturers: General Electric, Pratt and Whitney, and Roles Royce have also released performance reports on their testings of bio-fuels on aircraft engine performance; they reported results which showed that the use of certain bio-fuels (jatropha included) reduces airline emissions significantly and does not harm the engines. In addition, both Boeing and Airbus recently confirmed in a Business Week roundup on bio-fuels and sustainable aviation that they are continuing at full speed with their bio-fuels oriented plans despite the economic downturn.

“I expect the use of bio-fuels to become mandatory as the airline industry is forced to meet emission reductions. There are discussions that this could happen as early as 2013. This presents a tremendous opportunity for Waterland since Jatropha is one of three or four bio-fuels which can fill the needs of the airlines,” stated Mr. Van de Water.

Waterland recently announced its first shipment of Jatropha Oil for the airline industry in Europe. To mark this achievement, the Company held a ceremony in Purwodadi, Central Java, Indonesia, on July 7, 2010. Special guests at the ceremony included Roberto Pardamean the KKPH administrator of Purwodadi, H Bambang Pudjiono,SH Bupati (mayor) of Grobogan, the Head of Unit 1 Perhutani of Central Java, the Head of the Forestry and Plantation Department of Grobogan, the Head of Industrial and Trading Department of Grobogan, a representative for Jatoil, a representative for Aston Lloyd Bio-Commodities, as well as representatives of 50 farming cooperatives (LMDH’s).

Jatropha is thought to be an ideal bio-fuel for use by the airline industry and is considered a second generation biofuel. Waterland intends to become a leading supplier of Jatropha oil to the EU transportation industry, specifically to the aviation industry.

BP last week demonstrated its commitment to next generation biofuel with the acquisition of US specialist Verenium’s cellulosic biofuel business for $98.3 million.

Under the terms of the agreement, BP will take over Verenium’s facilities in Jennings, Los Angeles and San Diego, which include pilot plant and demonstration-scale facilities, as well as R&D.

Verenium will retain some R&D, its enzyme business, including its biofuel enzyme products, and will be free to develop its own lignocellulosic enzyme programme.

The company says its cellulosic ethanol technology is on the verge of commercialisation and BP is the right company to carry it forward to the next stage.

The acquisition indicates BP’s intention to lead the cellulosic biofuel industry in the US and will mean that it is one of the few to have all aspects covered from R&D to blending and distribution.

“By acquiring Verenium’s cellulosic biofuel technologies, BP Biofuels should be well placed to accelerate the delivery of low cost, low carbon, sustainable biofuels, at scale,” says BP Biofuels CEO Philip New.

After recently acquriing joint venture operations in Central Java, Indonesia, renewable energy company Jatoil has secured its first sale of a commercial quantity of crude jatropha oil.

The sale is under a new four year offtake agreement with Jatoil’s partner Waterland International, covering all crude jatropha oil produced from the first 1,000 hectares of the project. The initial shipment of 10 tonnes of oil will be used as feedstock for the production of aviation fuel, set to be consumed by a number of airlines.

Phil Hodgson, CEO, said: “We expect that further harvesting this year will allow us to market larger quantities of crude jatropha oil at more frequent intervals.”

Oil output is expected to reach around 700 tonnes between 12 and 18 months but this will almost double within the next three years.

The first stage of the project, covering 1,000 hectares of mature jatropha trees, and the same amount in new planting, was completed in June 2010. The venture is now moving into the second stage, which aims to increase total land holdign to 10,000 hectares.

Headquartered in Finland, refining company Neste Oil’s €550 million renewable diesel plant in Singapore is almost ready to begin production.

Producing 800,000 tonnes of renewable diesel a year, NExBTL is now 10% away from completion and is due to come online in Q4 of 2010. The plant has the ability to use other feedstocks, including jatropha oil and animal fat.

When production begins the biodiesel will be exported to Europe and North America.

The president and CEO at Neste Matti Lievonen said: ‘With the construction of our NExBTL renewable diesel plant in Singapore into its final stages we are the world’s leading provider of renewable diesel.’

Along with NExBTL, Neste also owns and operates two other renewable diesel plants in Porvoo, Finland, producing 190,000 tonnes-a-year each. The company’s portfolio is set to expand further still with a €670 million refinery under construction in Rotterdam. When it becomes operational in mid 2011 the plant will produce 800,000 tonnes of renewable diesel annually.

In similar news, Lievonen predicts that the demand for renewable diesel is on the up and Europe alone will consume around 20 million tonnes as more stringent mandates are coming into force across the continent.

‘Globally we’re currently seeing about 10 million tonnes (a year) of demand for renewable biodiesel,’ he said.

Asia is also expected to consume larger amounts of the renewable fuel. By the year 2030 the population is expected to reach 1 billion and this will drive up the demand for energy by 50%.

The Jatropha Income Builder is a new and innovative method of offering you a low-entry, high return, alternative investment.

Through a simple monthly investment in a green energy plant known as the Jatropha tree, Aston Lloyd are providing industry-leading returns over an unprecedented timescale.

A low monthly direct debit over two years purchases land in the project, and pays for the harvesting and sale of the green energy fuel. In return, investors enjoy a constantly building, cumulative income for the next 30 years!

Download the project brochure now to find out:

• What is an income builder?
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China will launch its first flight using aviation biofuel this year after signing an agreement with U.S. company Boeing in Beijing.

Al Bryant, vice-president of Boeing’s research and technology department in China, told reporters the new fuel was expected to be commercially viable within three to five years.

“We believe in three to five years we should see a portion of fuel in commercial aviation (using biofuel), but a lot has to be done,” he said.

“We’ve proven it can be flown and it is a matter of scaling it up to make it commercially viable.”

Four test biofuel flights have already been conducted in the United States, and Bryant said China was now the focus of development because “they have made the decision to move faster”.

Aviation is responsible for about 2 percent of total global greenhouse emissions, and the entire industry aims to become carbon neutral by 2050 through the use of alternative fuels.

China aims to replace at least 15 percent of total diesel and gasoline consumption with biofuel by 2020.

It has a number of pilot ethanol fuel projects in the farming belts of central and northeast China, but it has been wary of traditional processing methods because of concerns about food security and the impact on grain prices.

After banning the use of corn and edible oil in 2006 and suspending all new licenses for bioethanol projects in 2007, China is focusing on new-generation variants processed from agricultural waste, cellulosic materials or hardy but inedible oil-bearing plants like jatropha.

“The United States relied on corn to produce biofuel but relying on crops has been criticised, and second-generation biofuels are more significant for China,” said Zhang Guobao, head of the country’s National Energy Administration.

Rising fuel prices, environmental concerns, pressure for oil independence, and energy policies are creating a strong market for renewable energy. But which biofuel is best? This report looks into the green credentials of palm oil, millettia, and jatropha to analyse the new asset classes which can help stop climate change while also making investors a profit.

This report features:

• Which is the greenest?
• Which is the most commercially sustainable?
• Why is demand for biofuels going to keep increasing?

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TAM,  South America’s largest airline, plans to hold a demonstration flight in the second half of 2010 using a mixture of aviation biofuel, which will include the biodiesel producing jatropha plant. The aircraft will be an Airbus A320 from the TAM fleet.

TAM’s CEO, Libano Barroso, says that the company honours its social and sustainability commitments through such an initiative. “We have put our best efforts in to using Brazilian raw materials in the production of this bio-fuel, resulting in significant economic and social gains. A source of aviation bio kerosene, the biomass is 100% Brazilian, a resulting of family agricultural projects and large farms in the hinterlands of Brazil that have been devoted to the pioneering cultivation of the jatropha plant.”

TAM has already organised the availability of the bio-fuel for the demonstration flight later this year. Through the Brazilian Association of Jatropha Producers (ABPPM), TAM acquired jatropha seeds from producers in the north, southeast and centre west of Brazil, these were then transformed into a semi-refined oil that was shipped to the US where UOP, a Honeywell company, processed the jatropha oil into bio kerosene which was mixed with conventional aviation kerosene in a 50-50 mix.

The demonstration flight will be the first in Latin America to use this innovative combination of the type of plane and engine flying with aviation bio kerosene produced from jatropha. The TAM flight will be watched and monitored by the appropriate aviation authorities.

TAM is currently studying its contribution in the development of the production chain of the vegetable biomass fuel to create a sustainable Brazilian bio-fuel platform. Known by its scientific name, Jatropha curcas L, the shrub in question is a plant that does not compete with the food chain as it is not fit for human or animal consumption, and can be intercropped with pasture and food crops.

Through a joint effort with the Brazilian Association of Jatropha Producers, TAM intends to study the commercial scale development of sustainable jatropha production, with an eye to transforming it into aviation bio-fuel.

Land investment was once restricted to large development companies, but is now becoming more popular among private investors. Land is increasingly scarce, and freehold land is becoming difficult to obtain. Together with a rising population and an escalating need for more food, housing and industrial sites, demand for residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural land is swelling.

This report features:

• How it is performing worldwide
• The global trade in land
• Regions with the most potential
• How to invest in land

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The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects that average global temperature will increase by up to 5.8°C over the next century, so keeping climate change at sustainable levels and energy security has become a global issue, in recent decades. Among all types of renewable energy, wind power is an internationally favourable option thanks to its easy abundance, and the clean energy it produces.

This report features:

• How it is performing worldwide
• The global trade in wind energy
• Regions with the most potential
• How to invest in wind farms

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With climate change a hotly debated topic worldwide, renewable energy has hit the top of government agendas across the globe. Renewable energy undoubtedly has a critical role to play; resulting in solar, wind and other clean technologies recently attracting US$140bn of investor interest. (United Nations, June 2009). The renewable energy industry has been viewed as a “guaranteed-growth” sector, but potential investors need to do their due-diligence research.

This report features:

• Why investment in solar energy is soaring
• Will it be profitable for a private investor?
• Projects and regions with the most potential
• How to invest in solar energy

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General Motors and the US Department of Energy have started an alliance with an India-based company with the aim of developing jatropha as a sustainable biofuel energy crop.

The goal of the project is to demonstrate that jatropha , a plant traditionally considered a weed, can produce significant quantities of oil for commercial scale conversion to biodiesel. The partnership will also explore the development of new varieties of the plant that have high yields and can withstand adverse environmental conditions.

Jatropha is a drought resistant , non-edible plant that can be grown commercially with minimal care on marginal land. Unlike corn and sugar cane, which are grown elsewhere for biofuels , jatropha is inedible. As a result, the cultivation of jatropha for biofuel does not negatively impact the food chain.

According to Karl Slym, president and managing director of General Motors India, the tie-up reiterates the company’s commitment to green technology and alternative fuels. “If jatropha proves commercially viable, it will reduce India’s dependence on imported oil while cutting greenhouse gas emissions and promoting economic growth,” he said. “And if jatropha does indeed prove commercially viable, GM India will be ready to respond by introducing biodiesel-capable products.”

As well as producing sustainable bio-diesel, researchers in India have discovered the jatropha plant could now be used to develop artificial blood vessels.

biodegradable polymer recently developed from Jatropha has attracted researchers from IIT-Madras to work towards a project in this direction. The IITians are not alone. A Thiruvananthapuram-based medical institute Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST) and a Belgium-based multi-national company have also evinced interest in the polymer developed by a Gujarat-based national research institute.

The Central Salt Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) located in Bhavnagar district of the state has hit upon a process by which biodegradable polymers can be developed at almost zero-cost using one of the byproducts of Jatropha — a drought-resistant perennial plant that grows even in sandy and saline conditions.

It has also been doing pioneering work in developing bio-diesel from Jatropha.
The scientists, however, continued to experiment with one of the by-products crude glycerol and discovered this biodegradable polymer which is believed to have multiple uses in the field of medicine including the development of artificial blood vessels.

The new discovery has also caught the attention of a Belgium-based firm which is looking to jointly collaborate with CSMCRI to commercially develop the bio-polymer on a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) basis.
“If negotiations work out, then a joint collaboration with this firm can be forged, Mr Ghosh said.
“This will help the discovery to be taken to the second phase which will involve scaling up the production of the polymers from a few grams to kilogram,” he added.

The success of the polymer has also attracted the country’s Department of Science and Technology which has floated a proposal to fund 70% of the project cost, provided the institute has an industry partner who can fund the remaining 30% of the cost.