SUPPLY CHAIN OF JATROPHA CURCAS BIODIESEL INDUSTRY BASED ON LOCAL PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION IN CUBA

Abstract

The Cuban efforts for the founding of a local biodiesel industry are totally focused on Jatropha based, as the main source of bioenergy for transportation in rural areas. There is no a national policy in this respect and the producers and users are dealing with the use of a blend of 15% of biodiesel of Jatropha curcas and 85% diesel fuel. This is a major challenge for the farmers and municipalities, due to risk and uncertainty in its production, profitability and land disposal, among others. The present study investigates the supply chain network and related problems of the biodiesel industry in Cuba. The Jatropha based biodiesel supply chain includes stages like seeds production, feedstock logistics such as harvesting, storage, and transportation, biodiesel production, distribution and final use in diesel engines. The critical factor is the seed production at the level needed for a stable supply of oil to the biodiesel plant. Consumables that are imported are another risk factor in the Jatropha value chain in Cuban local production. The settling of a local bioenergy market is another task for the Jatropha industry but also for the by-products generated (glycerol, Jatropha cake and husk) are also crucial for the sustainability of the industry.