Jatoil sees potential revenue boost in new cropping strategy

Renewable energy company Jatoil has announced an interim income-producing joint venture for its Asian biofuel farms while the farms’ fuel crop, jatropha curcas, matures. Jatropha curcas is a hardy, poisonous perennial shrub the seeds of which contain up to 40% oil processable into high-quality biodiesel. Jatoil has invested in jatropha oil farming ventures in Vietnam. The company has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with two Australian-based plant breeder companies Nuflora and Floraquest and will own 60% of the proposed joint venture company. (January 12, 2010)