The Guatemalan company Octagon planted 2,500 hectares of 'piñón', or physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.), from which oil can be extracted for use as biodiesel, a fuel that is cheaper and less polluting than those derived from petroleum. Cultivation began in November, thanks to 90,000 euros (110,000 dollars) donated by the Finnish government's Alliance for Energy and the Environment.

The physic nut plant has grown in Guatemala for many years, but it had not been studied as a fuel source until recently, Octagon spokesman Ricardo Asturias told Tierramérica.

“After several studies, it was found that used as a fuel it is capable of moving several different types of engines,” he said. The oil is extracted from the seeds and then processed into biodiesel.

Octagon hopes to try out the new fuel before the end of September.