Jatropha research study finished this month

Ormoc City – The Philippine National Oil Company Energy Drilling Corp. (PNOC-EDC) is already expecting to finish their study about jatropha next month, according to PNOC-EDC president and CEO Paul Aquino.

“We are conducting an experiment about jatropha on how it should be grown and what variety is ideal and whether it is viable for some livelihood purposes in support of the biofuels program of the national government,” Aquino said in an interview during the handover rites to the PNOC-EDC the last Build-to-Operate-Transfer geothermal plant held at the administration complex in Barangay Milagro here Wednesday.

Aquino said the PNOC-EDC has 232 plots of jatropha in a farm in Dumaguete City. He said that the cultivation process was subjected to six variables, which he said was quite a technical process. He however did not reveal the actual area covered by the project.

Aquino furthered that after propagating jatropha and having it under thorough study, a report would be published which would tell if jatropha is really viable and ideal for livelihood projects.

Studies conducted on jatropha showed that its seeds have an oil content of 37 percent which can be combusted as fuel already, while other studies disclosed that the oil has already passed the test done on diesel engines.

“This project was conceptualized not for the company to bring more gains but to help the communities around the PNOC-EDC to get some opportunities through the use of jatropha,” the president and CEO told The Star. 

Aquino said that this project would also be a big help to the biofuels program of the government, which until now is expecting active support especially from big companies like the PNOC and other people and organizations from the private sector. He added that the project was initiated under the livelihood program of the company and once realized, Aquino said this would provide livelihood to the community around the power plants of the PNOC-EDC in the country. – Roberto Dizon