Bio-Carburants d'Haiti S.A. (BDH)
Project Overview
In 2006, a group of Haitian entrepreneurs of various professions, motivated by the desire to contribute to their country’s economic growth, convened to develop a bio-diesel production project in Haiti. To meet this challenge, the group later formed Biocarburants d’Haïti S.A., the first concrete effort to involve the country on the new trend of bio-fuel production. This new company proposes to produce bio-diesel for the Haitian market from “Jatropha curcas”, a plant known here as “Gwo Medsiyen” growing wildly throughout the country.
BDH is currently the only local entity in Haiti that has mastered the techniques of bio-fuel production with used vegetable oil as raw material. For over three years now, BDH has successfully utilized it's bio-diesel locally in various automobile engines and electrical generators. Moreover, the quality of the product has been certified by the Bertin Laboratory and the Brazilian branch of Volkswagen, two world renowned instances in the field.
Biocarburants d’Haïti’s will eventually target all segments of the diesel market with its products. However, since it does not yet have the production capacity to satisfy a strong demand and in the absence of a public policy for the commercialization of this product, bio-diesel will at first be proposed privately to individuals and companies, mostly for electricity generation. This segment of the market presently represents more than 20 million gallons yearly.
History and Achievements
2006: BDH is formed by a group of Haitian entrepreneurs as a strategy to counter the negative effects of deforestation on the environment by offering an alternative to charcoal, to lessen our energy dependence by reducing oil imports and to introduce a new dynamism in the countryside with industrial energy plantations.
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Broadcast information about Jatropha in the media (Radio Metropole, Radio Quisqueya, Le Nouvelliste)
- Installed an experimental bio-diesel production unit to acquire knowledge and control of the manufacturing process. Successful testing of the pure product (B100) and of various petro-diesel blends (B5, B10, B20) in vehicles and electrical generators.
May 2007: Plantation of the jatropha orchard in Marmont ( Plateau Central) on 1.29 has, inter-cropping with a pepper plantation.
August 2007: Plantation of an orchard in Cabaret on 3 has with a broad spacing between the seedlings to experiment with several food crops.
November 2007: Formation of Biocarburants D’’Haiti S.A. by members of the group. The object of the corporation is the production, treatment and marketing of vegetable hydrocarbons and their derivatives.
2008: Supply of seeds and written documentation to peasant groups for the formation of seedbeds and plantations in the areas of Dame- Marie (Grande Anse), Petit Goave (Ouest) and Jean Rabel (Nord Ouest).
2009: Development of a Business Plan aiming for the production of one million gallons of bio-diesel in 2015, from plantations of jatropha over an area of 4,500 has between 2010 and 2014. Signed a preliminary agreement on the use of a 1200 hectare property for the purpose of planting jatropha.
Objectives
Produce Jatropha curcas bio-diesel for the Haitian market
Encourage inter-cropping of Jatropha with traditional food crops
Contribute to the economic revival of the agricultural sector through the industrial production of Jatropha oil and of its byproducts.
Short term objectives and needs (2 years)
Increase our bio-diesel production capacity and our ability to transport the product where needed. We currently produce an average of 450 gallons of bio-diesel monthly from used oil collected in restaurants and hotels. As this source is limited, we have contacted overseas suppliers to import used oil in 5,500 gallon containers and we will need to complete and install an existing equipment with a capacity over 6,000 gals/mth.
Support the development jatropha farms over 300 hectares in size
Establish partnerships with land owners/ associations of growers and encourage them to plant jatropha over 600 has through agricultural incentive programs
Experiment with and evaluate different aspects of the jatropha economic chain.