Weed powered jet

I had blogged about algae-derived oils last year and also had some updates on investments in algae-based biofuels couple months ago... but now comes news that a algal-oil maker plans to

...target the jet-fuel market and aims to reduce production costs to $40 to $80 per barrel in a few years.

Earlier this year,

Air New Zealand plans to fly a weed-powered jet later this year in a trial to determine if the biofuel technology is worth further research.

Note: OK, I was being a bit disingenuous with the title. I couldn't decide if "weed powered jet" or "$40-$80 per barrel oil" was more catchy! :) Obviously, it is not a "weed-powered jet" but "a weed powered jet". Crucial "a" there! :) The fuel is based on Jatropha oil, produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas. Apparently, the plant "can grow in wastelands and yields more than four times as much fuel per hectare as soybean, and more than ten times that of maize (corn)."