Anyone making Bio-diesel?

Biodiesel manufactfure is a simple process it can be done with equipment that costs less than $US500.00. It is in a very simple format waste oil, lye and wood achol.

There are plans to introduce Jatropha into Hispaniola, particularly Haiti (though it would probably be equally at home in dryer parts of the DR). This is the principle biodiesel plant in Africa - crush the seeds (simple hand press works) and use the oil.

Got a few colleagues researching Jatropha in Africa - will keep the forum informed if I hear about any concrete plans for the DR.

Jathropa - Bio Diesel

I have been experimenting with Jathropa for the last 18 months as there are some large projects planned for Haiti and one in particular also had plans to expand into the DR however they seem to be in Pilot stage or caught up in the NGO bureaucracy.

I commissioned small projects on different phases of the Jathropa to Bio Diesel product cycle so as to gain a first hand understanding of the commercial potential with a leaning towards low tech processing and handling. (essential for rural areas of the DR and Haiti)
Project Results:

• Harvested Seeds
• Built a Press
• Grew 2000 Seedlings from the seeds
• Pressed Seeds to produce Jathropa Oil
• Processed the Jathropa Oil into Bio Diesel
• Processed Fruit and Seed Pulp into Briquettes
• Produced Soap from the Glycerin Residue

Personally the Jathropa plant has a big upside in the DR and Haiti. It grows here naturally, is drought resistant, it has strong root structures to assist in controlling erosion in the upper water catchment areas (essential in Haiti). The fruit is not eaten by animals such as cows, goats and pigs which is why the Jathropa plant has been used as a natural fence by subsistence farmers to protect their crops for decades.

Jathropa produces a fruit about the size of an acorn which farmers can harvest and derive revenue from, the fruit has 2 to 3 seeds in it which when pressed produces raw vegetable oil. The left over pulp of the fruit and seeds can be processed in a low tech manner and produce Briquettes which burn well and cleanly and offer a substitute to charbon (cooking charcoal). The Jathropa Oil can be processed into Bio Diesel with a 15 to 20% by product of glycerine, methanol, soaps and the lye catalyst. With some distilling the methanol can be 98% recovered and reused in the process and then the glycerin can be turned into soap. Almost zero waste.

Jathropa Benefits:

• Erosion Control
• Revenue for Farmers from selling seeds
• Bio Diesel
• Briquettes
• Soap
• An Alternatrive to Charbon which in turn will reduce cutting down of trees

Sorry for the long winded post but I kinda of like this plant!

what is your cost per gallon of biodiesel with this setup?

and what is your cost for the cooking charcoal?

Are either likely to be competetive on any scale?

MrMike said:

what is your cost per gallon of biodiesel with this setup?

and what is your cost for the cooking charcoal?

Are either likely to be competetive on any scale?

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Hi Mr Mike,

I don't have a cost per gallon as we did approach this on a commercial scale.

The objective of the our research was to gain some hands on experience and therefore be better prepared to assist or participate in supporting some of the planned projects if and when they get off the ground.

I have however produced about 1000gallons of bio diesel from cooking oil that we pick up from restaurants in and around Port au Prince and that bio-diesel costs me about $1 per gallon.

so $1 per gallon with free raw materials? (unless you bought the used cooking oil)

I guess that makes it about a dollar a gallon for processing alone.

MrMike said:

so $1 per gallon with free raw materials? (unless you bought the used cooking oil)

I guess that makes it about a dollar a gallon for processing alone.

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I purchase the used cooking oil, methanol and lye and it adds upto $1 per gallon and I use a Hot Water Heater as my Processor and I have a series of drums set up for washing the bio diesel.

I tried to interest the tech institute on Nunez de Caceras to do a project 3 years ago.No Interest!

I've made a few liters for my car. I've used fresh cooking oil. I have some used deep-fry oil that I am going to use next. I've been following the advice on this site: Make your own biodiesel: Journey to Forever.

Fascinating!

I, unfortunately, have nothing useful to add to the discussion.

I do have to say that this appears to me to have huge potential. All you'd need to do is get a few big resorts to donate their cooking oil to you, in exchange for some Green Appreciation Sticker and Certificate that you and you alone create and bestow on your partners.

So you have it for free.

Then you teach youngsters how to process it, and give them some diplomas while you are at it. Oh yeah, and the hotel guests can donate to your not-for-profit training foundation. Make sure to seek 501C status in the states, or whatever it si in Canada, so folks can take tax deductions.

Now sell it back to the hotels so they can win some more Green Stars from you. Make sure these resorts mention you on their websites.

I will take a small commission: a pair of fancy sandals, a Brugal, and unlimited biodeisel on my next "consulting" trip down!

Thank you for being you and for taking this in good spirits with which it is intended.

-- Sammy, with suenos of Samana

samanasuenos said:

I, unfortunately, have nothing useful to add to the discussion.

I do have to say that this appears to me to have huge potential. All you'd need to do is get a few big resorts to donate their cooking oil to you, in exchange for some Green Appreciation Sticker and Certificate that you and you alone create and bestow on your partners.

So you have it for free.

Then you teach youngsters how to process it, and give them some diplomas while you are at it. Oh yeah, and the hotel guests can donate to your not-for-profit training foundation. Make sure to seek 501C status in the states, or whatever it si in Canada, so folks can take tax deductions.

Now sell it back to the hotels so they can win some more Green Stars from you. Make sure these resorts mention you on their websites.

I will take a small commission: a pair of fancy sandals, a Brugal, and unlimited biodeisel on my next "consulting" trip down!

Thank you for being you and for taking this in good spirits with which it is intended.

-- Sammy, with suenos of Samana

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Great ideas. Where should I send your check?

Just start shopping for fancy sandals, sixe 6 and a half!

AlterEgo said:

My brother-in-law and his wife have a large finca in Ocoa, and a year or two back they planted a large # of 'igreta' plants - no idea what it's called in English, but I did see a field of them somewhere in the Cibao on the way back to SD from Montecristi last week. The seeds are crushed for the oil, to be used in bio-diesel. After it was harvested they had huge sacks of the seeds - I was there when a fellow came from Spain to see the farm and the seeds, but by the time the lab in Santo Domingo came back with the results of the quality tests the guy bought elsewhere. [the machine in the lab broke down, apparently the only one - as we all know, Murphy's Law runs rampant in DR]

Long story short, no one in DR was interested in it, they finally had the oil extracted themselves in the free zone and sold it in Europe. I doubt they'll plant them again.

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Wish I had known them in time. I've been running the entire country looking for this Castor Oil.

Collingwood states

Personally the Jathropa plant has a big upside in the DR and Haiti. It grows here naturally, is drought resistant, it has strong root structures to assist in controlling erosion in the upper water catchment areas (essential in Haiti). The fruit is not eaten by animals such as cows, goats and pigs which is why the Jathropa plant has been used as a natural fence by subsistence farmers to protect their crops for decades.

yes, it might be drought resistant. that simply means that it does not die in arid areas. it does not mean that it will produce seeds. planting in in marginal areas will give marginal yields, to quote one research scientist.

I have been trying to find a source of seeds for Copaifera langsdorfii ( Diesel tree ), Cons: tree takes 12-14 years to mature, only produces around 40 liters per tree a year. Pros: The oil needs no processing and can be used directly, its extracted on "tap", and the tree with about a 70 year life span, can then be used for lumber.

this would be a great tree to have on a small farm, 24 trees would supply me with my fuels needs on my Pickup.

Bio diesel can come from other sources as well, the Moringa tree, is also "drought tolerant" but unlike jatropha curcas, Moringa is edible, almost every part of the tree is edible . and is often called the "miracle tree".

Tropicdude said:

I have been trying to find a source of seeds for Copaifera langsdorfii ( Diesel tree ), Cons: tree takes 12-14 years to mature, only produces around 40 liters per tree a year. Pros: The oil needs no processing and can be used directly, its extracted on "tap", and the tree with about a 70 year life span, can then be used for lumber.

this would be a great tree to have on a small farm, 24 trees would supply me with my fuels needs on my Pickup.

Bio diesel can come from other sources as well, the Moringa tree, is also "drought tolerant" but unlike jatropha curcas, Moringa is edible, almost every part of the tree is edible . and is often called the "miracle tree".

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Have you tried any of the people in the thread at the end of this article?

Tapping Trees For Diesel Fuel ? GroovyGreen.com ? Start Today :: Save Tomorrow

I have heard rumors of a professional operation for bio-diesel being set up around Baharona.

For those guys using used frying oil. There was a time this was hugely popular in the Netherlands, until all those guys got huge probs with their cars and had to clean up all the filters and tubes. In the end they paid more per gallon.

belgiank said:

I have heard rumors of a professional operation for bio-diesel being set up around Baharona.

For those guys using used frying oil. There was a time this was hugely popular in the Netherlands, until all those guys got huge probs with their cars and had to clean up all the filters and tubes. In the end they paid more per gallon.

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nobody has been able to show me how it will be possible to collect sufficient used cooking oil for such a venture to be profitable. Dominicans use the same oil for frying, over and over again. it is just an economic reality. who is going to go door to door, collecting a quart here, a pint there, and a cupful over yonder? even if the collection process can be refined somewhat, there is competition from an established player...the animal feed vendors. forget it!