Bionas to produce 730,000 tons of jatropha crude oil

Malaysia’s Bionas Agropolitan Technology Corridor Development Bhd says it has the ability to produce 730,000 metric tons (MT) of jatropha crude oil and 340,000 MT of jatropha biodiesel by the middle of 2009. The press mill for producing the jatropha crude oil will start operations in August this year in Jeram, Selangor, and Jawi, Nibong Tebal, Penang, said Bionas Chief Executive Officer Zurina Amnan. The company’s refinery plant in Lumut Industrial Centre, Perak, for processing the jatropha crude oil to become biodiesel will have a production capacity of 60,000 to 120,000 MT annually. To date, Zurina said, Bionas has signed an agreement with YPJ Palm International Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of YPJ Holding, a Johor state government company, Loreno Bio Chem Ltd., Singapore and Grand Inizio Sdn Bhd. (May 14, 2008)