Godrej tests jatropha oil on mini-truck

Aizawl, Nov 18 (UNI) A mini-truck has been test-run successfully on bio diesel fuel, extracted from the jatropha plant, by the Godrej Agrovet Company here.

The technicians, who test-ran the engine on the Bawngkawn-Durtlang road, about eight kms from here yesterday, confirmed that its fuel efficiency was high even when the engine ran uphill.

''The engine emitted lesser sound and smoke, while its vibration was also considerably low,'' the technicians said.

The test was conducted in two runs, with 25 per cent (five litres of jatropha oil and five litres of diesel) mixture in the first, and 33 per cent mixture (five litres of jatropha oil and ten litres of diesel) in the second run.

''The successful test-run highlighted the feasibility of converting jatropha oil to biodiesel fuel,'' Godrej officials said.

The oil, used for yesterday's test run, was extracted and purified by Mr Rothangpuia (proprietor of the RTP business house), who rears about one lakh jatropha plants.

Earlier, the RTP had processed washing soaps with oil extracted from the jatropha seeds.

''Those who used the soap have asserted that it is better than all the other soaps, detergents and washing powders available in the market,'' Mr Rothangpuia claimed.

Godrej officials hoped that the successful test-run would encourage Mizo farmers to show more interest in the jatropha plantations, which had been introduced by the Mizoram government about two years back under a buy-back policy with the Agrovet Godrej Company.

Presently, hundreds of farmers could benefit from the plantations.

The company was planning to start buying jatropha seeds from this year, officials said.

Owing to its favourable geographical conditions, Mizoram could become the ''Malaysia of India'' in terms of jatropha production, Godrej officials said.

UNI