KESSLER Pongamia Plantation in the Negev Desert – Building the Future of High Oil Yield per Hectare on Degraded Land

At KESSLER, our mission is clear: to maximize sustainable, non-food oil production per hectare from degraded and desert lands, while creating a scalable platform for low-carbon fuels, renewable energy, and carbon reduction.

Our Pongamia plantation and research station in the Negev Desert continues to demonstrate the strength and success of this vision.

The winter has been relatively rainy compared to normal desert conditions, with annual rainfall in the area approximately doubling from around 100 mm to about 200 mm. This has supported significant biomass development, robust tree growth, and the emergence of rich natural vegetation throughout the plantation.

What was once dry and barren land is now visibly green, alive, and productive.

Our elite genetic Pongamia trees, developed and cultivated in partnership with the Israeli ARO Institute, are demonstrating their resilience in challenging desert conditions. The trees are growing vigorously, yields are high, and the plantation agriculture protocols are proven each season.

For us, the key objective is not only to grow trees. The real objective is to create an industrial, scalable plantation model that maximizes oil yield per hectare on land that does not compete with food production.

This is the foundation of the KESSLER Smart Carbon Plantation model: transforming degraded land into productive renewable-energy assets that produce non-food oil for HVO, SAF, biodiesel, and other low-carbon fuels, while also generating biomass, restoring ecosystems, and supporting future carbon solutions.

We are most proud of the plantation progress and consistent milestones, and we deeply appreciate the ARO Institute team's excellent work and professional dedication.

The desert is becoming green again! #Pongamia #SmartCarbonPlantations #OilYield #RenewableEnergy #Biofuels #SAF #HVO #AridAgriculture #DegradedLand #Desertification #LowCarbonFuels #ARO #Sustainability