Lampung cultivates jatropha to produce biofuel

Villagers in Babakan, Indonesia, can now cultivate jatropha and process it as biofuel. There are 610 hectares of jatropha farms spread across five villages: Babatan (which has 150 hectares of jatropha plantations), Sidomekar, Karya Tungga, Tanjung Agung, Tanjungan (100 hectares each) and Pardasuka (60 hectares). Sarbini, the leader of the South Lampung Jatropha farming group said, “Villagers now realize that growing jatropha is rewarding after the Lampung offices of the Regional Research and Development Agency and the Energy and Mining Agency briefed them about the benefits of jatropha to their daily energy needs.” This development has prompted the Lampung provincial administration to declare the province a center for renewable energy and Babatan village an “Energy Resilience Village.” (December 3, 2008)