Zest Cleantech
Bio-oil from jojoba trees
These jojoba trees grow in dry, hot, saline conditions and produce multipurpose bio-oil whilst sequestering carbon
Summary
This innovative tree species grows in hot conditions and produces nuts / seeds that are pressed to extract jojoba oil
Jojoba oil is used in a range of products, from cosmetics to industrial lubricants to biofuels
The company has plantations in Egypt, at King Faisal University, and is currently planting in the UAE
Carbon reduction potential
The plants sequester 17-25 tCO2/hectare/year
Offsets can be further realized by displacing the fossil oil in the products it replaces
Opportunity to participate
A profitable farm requires scale of about 200 hectares, requiring investment between $13 - 22 million
The company is seeking land concessiosn and access to treated wastewater effluent