Page 184 - Biofuels for a More Sustainable Future

Inedible vegetable-oil based biodiesel in Northern Viet Nam 169

This study aimed to access the sustainable potential of inedible vegetable
oil-based biodiesel systems in Northern Viet Nam. Simultaneously, the
felicity of different Hibiscus, Vernicia, and Pongamia biodiesel blends was
examined. Options and recommendations for the sustainable development
of inedible vegetable oil-based biodiesel in Northern Viet Nam were intro-
duced subsequently.

2 Potential cultivation areas and feedstocks for biodiesel
production in Northern Viet Nam
2.1 Pongamia pinnata
Pongamia pinnata (Pongamia), also known as Karanja, Pongam, or Indian
beech, is a medium-sized evergreen or briefly deciduous tree up to 25m tall
and belongs to Fabaceae family. This plant is native to tropical and temperate
Asia including Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand. Ponga-
mia is well grown in deep well-drained moist sandy loam soil, up to
1200m of elevation with the temperature range of 0–50°C and annual rain-
fall from 500mm to 2500mm. Moreover, it can tolerate various adverse cli-
matic and soil conditions, including drought, saline and alkaline soils, and
poor sandy and rocky soils (Orwa et al., 2009). Pongamia was introduced
to Viet Nam primarily for mangrove forest plantation to prevent salinization
and soil erosion in coastal areas or urban landscape planning. This plant has
recently been recognized as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production
that has average oil content in seed of 29.2% (Table 6.1). However, there
is limited empirical evidence on the seed production of Pongamia, especially
in Viet Nam. Therefore several assumptions were applied in this study.

2.2 Hibiscus sabdariffa L.
Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Hibiscus) is an annual, erect shrub with an average
height of about two meters which belongs to the Malvaceae family and is
mostly distributed in tropical areas (McClintock and El Tahir, 2004). Hibis-
cus also has several other names, such as sorrel and jelly okra. Almost all parts
of this plant are edible that can be used for many purposes, including as a
vegetable or for calyx and fiber production, as well as for medicinal supplies.
Viet Nam started to plant Hibiscus in 1957, and this plant has since gained its
popularity for calyx production over the last decade. Favorable climatic con-
ditions for the growth of Hibiscus are humid weather with temperatures
ranging from 16°Cto38°C, and annual precipitation of 1500mm
(VAFS, 2009). In the North of Viet Nam, propagation begins from May