Investment opportunity
Gem Biofuels is joining the Alternative Investment Market in London, raising £2.7 million to develop supplies of feedstock for the production of biodiesel.
The company believes one of the biggest constraints on the growth of the biodiesel market is the shortage of suitable feedstocks. It will focus initially on the Jatropha tree, which produces high levels of oil in its seeds.
The tree grows on marginal land that is unsuitable for food crops. Gem has 18 agreements with communes in Madagascar to establish plantations on 452,500 hectares of land for the establishment of plantations. It also has an agreement in relation to 40,000 hectares of natural forest that contains significant numbers of mature wild Jatropha.
To date around 13,300 hectares have been planted on nine commune areas.
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