December 9th, 2009
On december 4th 2009, the European partners of the Gota Verde biofuel-project in Honduras celebrated their third and final meeting, marking the end of the EU involvement of this 3 year project. FACT is one of the six European partners, leading the Agricultural component of the project. During the meeting the main results and challenges were discussed. 

During the three year, the project achieved to establish more than 650 ha of oil crops with small farmers, of which some 320 ha of jatropha. The remaining area concerned field trials with other oil yielding crops, like castor, sunflower, sesame, peanut, soya and rapeseed. Moreover, a biofuel processing plant was installed, including dehullers, two presses (one of which was locally produced), a biodiesel processor and oil filters. Since the beginning of 2008 the project has been producing biofuel in the form of PPO (Pure Plant Oil) and biodiesel, although the quantities have been small due to the limited availability of oil. Finally, 5 diesel engines have been adapted that can use PPO as a fuel.

The processing plant is operated by a newly founded enterprise (BYSA), that is owned by small farmers (49%) and by the Foundation FUNDER, who is the main local partner in the project. The main oil source is at the moment waste vegetable oil. At the moment, BYSA is the only enterprise in Honduras that continues to produce biofuel. Next to their involvement in the project in Yoro, FUNDER created in 2009 the Gota Verde Centre, that has the aim to further develop and spread the technologies and development models that facilitate the establishment of small-scale biofuel initiatives, with the involvement of small farmers.    

Although the EU involvement in the project will end in 2009, the activities in Honduras will continue, under the responsibility of FUNDER and with the support of HIVOS (The Netherlands) and TechnoServe (United States). It is expected that BYSA will become profitable in 2012, when the plantations established in 2007 and 2008 will become mature.