Tata Chemicals, Singapore firm in biofuel venture

Michelle Tay, Straits Times 26 Nov 08;

TEMASEK Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) has set up a joint venture company with Tata Chemicals to commercialise its jatropha-related biotechnologies and discoveries globally.

JOil, as the firm is called, will work with the India-based subsidiary of Tata Group to 'exploit the potential of the renewable energy industry', said the chairman of TLL, Dr Tan Guong Ching.

Jatropha is a plant that has been touted as a possible alternative to palm oil as feedstock for biodiesel.

When jatropha seeds are crushed, the resulting jatropha oil can be processed to produce a high-quality biodiesel that can be used in a standard diesel car, while the residue can also be processed into biomass to power electricity plants.

One of the key advantages of jatropha as a biofuel plant is that it is hardy, and can be cultivated even on poor quality farmland. JOil hopes to develop technologies to 'generate superior jatropha planting materials with customised traits', so that plantations and countries can secure ample supplies of biofuel feedstock.

By developing such tough, high-yielding varieties of the plant, JOil 'would be able to address the often cited criticism of countries diverting scarce arable resources away from food production to biofuels', said JOil's general manager, Dr Hong Yan.

Tata Chemicals' executive vice-president and chief financial officer, Mr P.K. Ghose, expressed delight at the venture, which he said 'could in future have a significant benefit for the production of biodiesel from jatropha both in terms of yield and cost'.

Tata Chemicals also made it clear that it intends to enter the biodiesel business, and to make JOil its exclusive partner in its operations in India and East Africa - two regions where the jatropha plant grows naturally.

TLL has already developed 'several key platform technologies' to 'address current issues confronting the bioenergy industry'. This partnership will give both firms 'the advantage of being able to customise planting materials to suit different regions and environments', said Dr Hong.