The company now boasts 22 employees,
including scientists, farmers, international
businessmen, industrial workers and of course
family.
GreenEnergy`s corporate mission aims
to bring large tracts of rural land under
scientific but basic cultivation of bio-fuel
feedstocks, bringing with it employment and
entrepreneurial opportunities to potentially
thousands of Vietnamese rural poor, while
providing inputs for GreenEnergy`s core
business, the refining and marketing of bio-
diesel.
It is a win, win situation for everyone because
not only does cultivation of this vegetable oil
require only marginally arable, war damaged
or barren land, this also means its activities
do not compete with other food production
which avoids putting upward pressure on
food prices.
N.B (Vietnamese Government has identified
seven million hectares as marginal, barren or
war damaged land).
In addition GreenEnergy`s operations achieve
a renewable and sustainable fuel source for
Vietnam to continue its development with all the
attendant social, economic and environmental
benefits in producing clean energy.
Because of the scale and potential of the bio-
diesel industry in Vietnam and indeed globally,
where tens of millions of bio-fuel crops will
have to be grown to substantially replace fossil
fuels, a ‘second green revolution’ is possible,
bringing with it true improvement in the lives
of the rural poor and vegetable oils can play a
significant role in helping to ameliorate global
warming as a key aspect of climate change.
Global warming, a key aspect of climate
change, now clearly recognized as a result of
a concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs)
in the atmosphere - has the worst impact on
the climate.
Carbon dioxide, the most common of GHGs, is
emitted during the burning of fossil fuels.
The Kyoto Protocol gazetted in February 2005
requires participating countries to cut carbon
emissions.
Further to this, rising crude oil prices and the
need to reduce dependence on imported oil has
made it necessary for net oil importers to think
of alternative energy sources. The precarious
situation with fossil fuel supplies coupled
with the ability of bio-fuels to lessen that risk,
makes it feasible for the global economy to
revert its focus towards agriculture and those
traditionally engaged in it, thus offering a
potential boon to Vietnam’s rural sector.
Full bio-diesel use would reduce net CO2 by
over 78% compared to petroleum diesel and up
to 16% with the use of blends comprising 20%
bio-diesel.
While both fuels are almost equally efficient
at converting raw energy resources into
fuels, bio-diesel has a larger part that is
renewable .Similarly, bio-diesel is non-toxic
and environmentally friendly as it produces
substantially less CO2, ensuring sustainable
environmental practices.
GreenEnergy has recognized this mammoth
task and has adopted a dual strategy for
attaining its goals in Vietnam.
1.Public – Aggressive initiatives to “jump-
start” the production side of bio-fuel feedstocks
by forming a partnership with Vietnams Central
Government and People’s Committees as well
as aid agencies to help put large tracts of
marginal land under bio-fuel crop cultivation
quickly.
A memorandum of understanding and support
was signed by the Peoples Committee of Binh
Dinh Province and Green Energy Vietnam on
the 8th of December 2006 and the 500 hectare
Binh Dinh Research and Training Facility
for the Cultivation of Biofuel Feedstocks has
been established, known as BDF- FARMER
ENERGY- a working laboratory devoted to
developing the bio-fuel industry for the benefit
of Vietnamese rural poor.
2.Private – Includes GEV investments to retain
its ‘First Mover’ advantage by securing its
proprietary feedstocks, expanding its physical
plant refinery presence and continuing to build
its integrated supply-chain, complete with
forward contracted suppliers and customers.
It is in this first arena, Public Initiatives,
that GreenEnergy sees co-operation with aid
agencies.
Some of the substantial and sustainable
benefits that the cultivation of bio-fuels crops
can contribute to Vietnam are:
1. Real cash growth, raising the annual income
of $820 to $1,300 U.S. for thousands of
marginalized rural families.
2. Private homesteading for the rural poor.
3. Stress relief and barren or war damaged land
reclamation.
4. Enfranchisement of poor, rural women.
5. Retention of scarce foreign currency
reserves and
6. Independence from the uncertainties of
global mineral oil markets.
The People`s Committee of the Province of
Binh Dinh and GreenEnergy, Vietnam, in
full realization of the enormous impact this
Research and Training Facility will have for
all of Vietnam`s rural communities, cordially
invites any and all organizations seeking
positive change in the livelihood of rural
Vietnamese to form an active Partnership in
the development of this Research and Training
Facility.
The Binh Dinh Facility wants to be a catalyst in
harnessing this opportunity for all stakeholders
and delivering:
. A path for the rural poor to climb out of their
deprivation rather than fall further behind.
. A renewable, sustainable and viable alternative
to fossil fuel for Vietnam’s surging economy.
and an industry that rejuvenates, rather than
degrades the environment.
Introduction to the oil plant Jatropha.
The oil plant Jatrophas curcas (L) (Jatropha)
or physic nut, is multipurpose and drought
resistant, growing to a height range of 2 to 7
metres for the Asian species and it not only
flourishes in tropical and sub-tropical climate
zones but even in areas absent of water.
Because its leaves and stems are toxic to
animals it is often used as a protective hedge
around farm houses, gardens and fields.
It also reduces soil damage caused by erosion
from wind and water and traditionally the
seeds were harvested by women for medical
treatments and local soap production.
In Thailand, Jatropha normally flowers twice
a year, in dry and rainy seasons with seed
harvesting conducted approximately 60-90
days after flowering and the oil plant has a
productive life of 20 years.
Because the market is probably not yet mature
enough for the plant to generate enough
income solely from oil extraction, a holistic
rural development approach has to be taken
into account in order to exploit all potential
uses of the Jatropha plant. This approach is
known as the Jatropha System.
The system focuses not only on the use of
the source as a fuel, but rather as an element,
to activate a system combining ecologic,
economic and income generating activities.
Consequently, the Jatropha System offers four
main aspects of development aiming to better
the livelihoods in rural areas, especially for
women and farmers:
. Renewable energy- bio-diesel
. Erosion control and soil improvement
. Promotion of women and
. Income generation.
About one-third of seeds can be extracted as
oil that has a similar energy value to diesel
fuel. The oil is extracted by hydraulic pressure
and then filtered through an intensive sleeve
that can then be readily used without any
complicated refinery process, directly available
for small diesel engines as a substitution for
diesel oil, without engine modification.
This oil can power engines, such as water
pumps, tractors, hand mowers, other farm
machinery and rice milling machines and
by using this domestically produced oil as a
substitution for imported oil, significant cash
savings can be made.
GreenEnergy Ltd have already committed
a considerable amount of time, money and
resources to this environmentally sound an
economically sustainable project in Vietnam
and welcome further input from other interested
parties.
It is also their belief that at an international level,
stakeholders involved should perform a three
pronged approach, with mutual knowledge,
technology transfer, genetic development of
high oil content in the seeds and exchange of
Jatropha species, together with investment
and trade linkage.
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