MUSCAT : A study undertaken by scientists of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) has concluded that the oil-rich seed of the Jatropha plant, if farmed extensively in the Sultanate of Oman, can support the large-scale production of low-carbon biofuels.
An overview of the feasibility of Jatropha cultivation in Oman, as a source of feedstock for biofuels production and eventual processing into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for the aviation sector, was presented recently at a forum hosted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in Muscat.
“The Jatropha Curcas is an excellent biofuel crop that has many other advantages over existing (food) crops,” according to Dr Ahmed al Busaidi of SQU’s College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences. “The hardy Jatropha is resistant to drought and pests, and produces seeds containing up to 40 per cent oil. When the seeds are crushed and processed, the resulting oil can be used in a standard diesel engine, while the residue can also be processed into biomass to power electricity plants.”
Speaking at the ‘Sustainable Aviation Fuel’ forum, Dr Al Busaidi, who led the study on the viability of the crop’s cultivation in Oman, said the plant can yield as much as 2,000 barrels of oil per square mile of farmed land. In addition, Jatropha farming can earn carbon credits because of the plant’s ability to absorb large amounts of planet-warming CO2 from the atmosphere.
According to the scientist, environmental and soil conditions are optimal for large-scale Jatropha farming in Oman. Transplanted during the cool winter months, the climate-resilient crop can survive the hot and arid conditions of summer. Its minimal water needs can be met from treated effluent supplied by state-owned Nama Water, he said.
In his address, the scientist also underlined the importance of Jatropha as a sustainable alternative to food-based resources, notably corn, oilseeds like canola and sunflower, and sugarcane, which are currently being used in some parts of the world for biofuel production. This diversion of food resources for biofuels has the potential to impact global food supply and exacerbate hunger, he warned.
Significantly, the cultivation of Jatropha in Oman was successfully trialled by SQU students with seeds procured from India, said Dr Al Busaidi. The plants grew well and yielded healthy seeds, proving the overall suitability of Omani conditions for the large-scale cultivation of the crop in Oman.
Oman has ambitions to catalyse the growth of a biofuels industry in line with country’s broader transition to a low-carbon energy future. Besides serving as an alternative to fossil fuels in transportation and rural power generation, biofuels can also be upgraded into green aviation fuels to support the decarbonisation of Oman’s aviation sector – a move being keen explored by the Civil Aviation Authority.
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