The tropics seem to be blessed with energy-producing plants. Oil palm, sugar cane, jatropha, coconut....now they have found another one which has the potential to put these plants in the shade.  Early studies indicate that the the Nypa palm (Nypa Fruticans), is an energy powerhouse capable of producing 20 tonnes of sugar per hectare (8 metric tonnes per acre), or 14300 litres of ethanol per hectare (1530 gallons per acre).  This is twice the yield of sugar cane.

 

The Nypa palm grows in brackish coastal waters (areas in which salt and fresh water mingle), and can grow over vast areas in Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, India and has invaded the Niger Delta in Africa.   It has many traditional uses, including the brewing of local alchohol (toddy), rope-making and thatching (hence the palm's local name 'Attap Chee', from it's use in roofing the traditional 'Attap house'). 

 

The palm can be tapped 4 years after planting, and will yield for 50 or more years (by comparison, the oil palm has a maximum life of 15 years).  Traditional methods of harvesting are intriguing, and include slapping and kicking the tree on a daily basis to encourage the flow of sap.

 

Christophe Dalibard's excellent study of the economical uses of palm is here:

http://www.cipav.org.co/lrrd/lrrd11/1/dali111.htm 

 

David Smith, Singapore