Imperium Renewables Inc. (IRI) is a national leader in next generation biodiesel refining and manufacturing technology. We are driven by a single yet ambitious goal - to fundamentally change the way we fuel our cars, trucks, ships, trains and planes by developing and producing clean, renewable and sustainable alternative fuels.

To meet that goal, the company has developed and continues to develop proprietary technology and processes in both the production facility and oil feedstock areas of the biodiesel value chain. Our continued focus on innovation is ensuring that our biodiesel comes from the most sustainable and environmentally friendly feedstocks possible, and that our product is of the highest quality in the industry.

IRI process and technology innovations enable the company to deliver improvements in product quality and throughput while reducing capital and operating expenditures significantly. The company has developed and deployed, at a commercial scale production facility, innovations including the ultra efficient Pressurized “Pulse Reactor”, an Active Methanol Recovery System, and an Adsorbent Enhanced Polishing Process. IRI was the first company in 11 western states to open and operate a commercial scale (5 million gallons a year) ASTM quality biodiesel production facility (Seattle Biodiesel, LLC). Since the Spring of 2005 IRI has been selling fuel to the leading NW fuel distributors.
 
Speaker Profile
Jon McLea is the Senior Agronomist of Imperium Renewables, currently the leading producer of Bio Diesel. He has held management positions in two Bio Diesel projects in Africa and have gained extensive experience in the cultivation of Jatropha and  Oil Palm  for feed stock. He  has also participated in numerous agroforestry research projects. 

Jon McLea hold a Masters Degree in Agriculture with thesis being  “ Cultivation of Jatropha curcas … as a Feed stock for Bio diesel” from the University of Pretoria, and a Diploma in Oil Palm Plantation Management and Technology from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.

JatrophaWorld 2008 Miami Speaker
Day 1 – Tuesday, June 10
11:30 CONSIDERATIONS IN SETTING-UP A COMMERCIAL-SCALE JATROPHA PLANTATION

• Agricultural land use planning and Jatropha.
• Key agronomic requirements for successful establishment and long term productivity of an economically feasible plantation – site selection and agro climatic feasibility.
• Propagation and Cultivation methods – advantages and disadvantages and where they are most applicable.
• Plantation Management

Overview of Presentation
The paper will introduce the audience to the aspects of establishing plantations of Jatropha curcas. This paper is composed of two main parts.

The first part will discuss all the important agronomic criteria related to plantation site selection. The process of evaluating the land suitability of the project area and those parameters that need to be considered during this exercise will be addressed. The cultural requirements of Jatropha curcas plantations will be discussed, as well as ways of improving the existing field conditions to improve productivity of plantations.

The second part will address the propagation and cultivation of Jatropha curcas. The merits of the different techniques of propagation such tissue culture, cuttings and direct seeding will be discussed. Cultivation practices for the establishment of plantations will be covered and the alternatives that can be used under different conditions will be considered.

JatrophaWorld 2008 is a showcase of all the latest trends and shifts occurring in the Jatropha value chain, bringing together on a single platform, the best expertise to discuss and analyze the present and future dynamics of Jatropha from a technological and socio-economic angle. To find more about JatrophaWorld in Miami from June 9 to 11, 2008, please visit http://www.futureenergyevents.com/jatropha/.