The engine - heart of the jatropha energy platform

The engine typically used is a single cylinder Lister-type diesel engine of 8-11 horsepower, made in India. This engine has already been imported into Africa on a huge scale, in Mali generally every village will have at least one. This means spare parts and technical competence are not a problem, even out in rural areas. The engine is easy to maintain, and works well on pure vegetable oil as fuel.