Pacific Biodiesel will soon be using oil from jatropha. Biofuels Journal reports the feedstock will come from the 200 acre Hawaii Pure Plant Oil (HIPPO) farm started in 2008.
Now, five years after the farm’s inception, the [father and son partners Christian and James Twigg- Smith] have formed a direct collaboration with Pacific Biodiesel Technologies (PBT) under its federally funded Hawaii Military Biofuel Crop (HMBC) project.
The project involves developing production models for Jatropha and other crops to share with potential biofuel crop growers throughout the state.
“We are currently having our best harvest to date,” said James Twigg-Smith who is overseeing the harvest as a PBT employee.
Twigg-Smith noted that the harvest will run through mid-September.
“The fields were prepared with care so as much labor as possible can be done mechanically,” he added.
The HIPPO farm is the largest jatropha crop in the U.S. And since it has some old growth, officials expect the yields should be at maximum yield capacities.