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Jatropha can grow in most parts of the world. It is considered an alternative to edible crops like corn and sugarcane, normally used as raw materials for biofuel production.
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The Mexican government announced it will invest 1.1 million dollars to implement a new experimental plant for the production of biofuels in the state of Chiapas. During the first stage, the plant is expected to produce 12 thousand liters of biodiesel every day.
The investment comes after an agreement between Mexican President, Felipe Calderon, and Colombian President, Alvaro Uribe.
The agreement was reached under the framework of the Biofuel Mesoamerican Program, which includes the construction of this type of plants in nine countries part of the program. The information came as a press release issued by the Mexican SAGARPA (Secretaria de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo rural, Pesca y Alimentación), however the announcement did not provide any dates for when the plant will begin operating.
Mexican newspaper Reforma published that the plant will be owned by the Federal Government, and its construction will take approximately four months. It is expected that in three months the plant will reach commercial production levels, enough to supply truck drivers and fishermen in Chiapas.
SAGARPA's chief, Alberto Cardenas, said that Chiapas, and more specifically Puerto Chiapas in Tapachula, offers the ideal conditions for the production of jatropha. In order to meet the demand of 12,000 litters of biodiesel, there will be need to secure 5 thousand hectares of jatropha. The secretary said that the government of Colombia will provide the technology and technical training to ensure the project's success.
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