Diligent Energy Systems is an innovative company that produces biofuels from tropical plants: biodiesel from Jatropha Curcas, and bio-ethanol from waste from coffee production in Colombia. 

Corporate social responsibility
Entrepreneur and founder Ruud van Eck attaches great value to sustainable entrepreneurship according to the principle of the three “P’s”: people; planet; and profit.

• People – meaning what is socially fair for people inside and outside the company
• Planet – ecologically sustainable 
•  Profit – economic added value

Mission in her work
Diligent wants to contribute both to reduction of global warming, and to creation of employment in developing countries. The overall objective is triple profit: profit for society, for the environment, and an adequate profit for Diligent itself.

An honest fuel
The approach of Diligent has a tangible benefit: since Diligent gets its fuel from tropical crops in Tanzania and Colombia, Diligent contributes to employment and poverty reduction in these countries. Diligent offers farmers a fair price and ensures that their products will be bought, so that they can build a better future.

Local use or export?
Biofuels can be used locally, or be exported to Europe. For combating climate change it does not matter where biofuels are used, after all the Earth has only one atmosphere. Both markets have their own advantages:

• Use in the land of production benefits the energy balance. Transporting fuel to Europe is not required. Furthermore, local use stimulates countries to develop their own economies in a sustainable way.
• Export, on the other hand, is good for the trade balance of the country. Selling jatropha products internationally will generate more money for the Tanzanian economy than import of fossil fuel costs. Besides, energy demands in western countries is much higher. If the Netherlands wants to meet part of its fuel consumption through biofuels, import of oil from other countries will be unavoidable.

Diligent is convinced that both methods, in their own way, are in the interest of poor countries. Therefore, Diligent applies both: local use of bio-ethanol in Colombia and export of oil and biodiesel from Tanzania.

Speaker Profile
Ruud van Eck an entrepreneur, is the founder of Diligent Energy Systems. He built from scratch a company producing alternative fuels. Earlier, he was the director of a company in information and communication technology, Mr van Eck managed to successfully grow this company within a few years. After selling that company, he was determined to do something in alternative fuels. A big change in career, which he made with full conviction: “I believe in this product. The demand for alternative fuels is very large. Much larger than the supply.”

JatrophaWorld 2008 Hamburg Speaker
Day 2 – Tuesday, October 21
12:05  JATROPHA PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION IN TANZANIA

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 Hamburg from October 20 to 21, 2008, please visit http://www.futureenergyevents.com/jatropha/.