SoilCorp will spend approximately US$ 450 million of equity over five years to reach a production capacity of 30 000 barrels of plant oil per day. The oil will be made from Jatropha Curcas in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. Production will carry little or no carbon debt and is estimated to reduce GHG gas emissions by more than 70% compared to carbon fossil fuels. Our renewable oil field developments will take place in a sustainable manner, helping regions emancipate themselves from the poverty gridlock of subsistence farming and providing infrastructure for economic growth. SoilCorp will donate US$ 1 per barrel of oil produced in support of local health-, education-, gender mainstreaming-, capacity building- and outreach programs.

SoilCorp considers Plant oil, and its refined by-product biodiesel, viable only if made from non-edible perennial plants grown in areas where production does not negatively affect rain forestation, and where it is non-competitive with food crop cultivation. Further, we perceive standardized sustainability certification procedures essential for the industry to succeed.

Currently, R&D competency is fragmented. Synergizing R&D from a variety of sources, partners, and test facilities is in our opinion vital to establish agricultural best-practices, develop ideotype cultivars, enhance growth and yield characteristics, enable mechanized harvesting and spreading risk. As Jatropha farming is labor intensive and mainly conducted in rural areas, SoilCorp believes community- and infrastructure building is as vital for success as agronomical procedures and advancements.

We consider risk reduction, accumulated learning, and knowledge dissemination key success factors. Fiduciary responsibility dictates properly diversifying geographic, agricultural, political, and plantation risk. Green-field perils can be minimized through investing in and ramping up ongoing operations. Logistical challenges may be harnessed by curtailing initial farm size. Enabling frameworks for joint R&D, proliferation of best plant and plantation practices, and streamlining community and infrastructure building are all paramount ingredients in increasing each farm’s chance of success.

JatrophaWorld 2008 Miami Speaker
Day 2 : Wednesday, June 11
14:00 BUILDING BLOCKS FOR SUSTAINABLE OIL
The need for independent certification of sustainability
A proactive PPP approach to infrastructure and community building
Local R&D partnerships on plant technology and biodiversity
A portfolio approach to identifying and disseminating ‘best practices’ – safeguarding indigenous rights, breaking the poverty gridlock of subsistence farming, and securing a locally adaptable industry

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/.