About 30 farmers attended a special seminar recently to learn about biodiesel fuel and its possibilities for soybean growers.
The event was held at the Elora Research Station, and featured Dr. Rex Newkirk, of the Canadian International Grains Institute. There are courses in biodiesel fuel for grain growers being offered out west, and Newkirk has been drafted to promote the technology across Canada. His goal is to educate growers about the biodiesel process and how biodiesel fuel can be used on farms.
Newkirk and his trailer had just completed their stint at the Royal Winter Fair.
Biodiesel is not a new technology.
In fact, when Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine in 1894, it was developed to run on a blend of peanut oil.
Ontario Soybean Growers have been working on the biodiesel initiative for a number of years with associations such as the National Biodiesel Board, Biodiesel Association of Canada and the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association.
Biodiesel can be produced from a number of different sources, including soybean oil, canola oil, and waste greases. In respect to soybeans, a single bushel of soybeans will produce 1.5 gallons of biodiesel. A gallon of soy-based biodiesel contains about 132,900 British Thermal Units of energy.
A number of soy-based biodiesel plants are currently running in the United States, with Minnesota currently having a 2% biodiesel blend requirement for all of its diesel fuel sales. Biodiesel is not typically sold on its own; instead it is sold in a percentage blend. In the case of a B2 blend, it means that there is 2% biodiesel and 98% conventional diesel fuel.
Over 100 cities in the U.S. and Europe have done a number of demonstrations and tests with biodiesel, in a variety of municipal vehicles including buses, trucks and cars. It has been noted by a number of environmentalists that even in a blend, biodiesel improves air quality with a reduction in emissions.
Currently the European Union is the largest consumer and producer of biodiesel with the primary feedstock being rapeseed oil.
A key advantage of biodiesel and ethanol over other renewable fuel technologies is that it does not require a new set of infrastructure or modifications of consumer’s automobiles. That is a clear advantage over other green friendly fuels such as hydrogen that require a new set of infrastructure and force consumers to spend substantial amounts of money to convert their existing automobiles.
There have been a number of tests conducted by manufacturers on trucks, cars, locomotives, buses, tractors, and small boats with no reduction in performance or increases in engine wear. A disadvantage to biodiesel is that it is relatively a new technology in respect to conventional petroleum diesel. Petroleum diesel in the past has been significantly cheaper then biodiesel.
That has been a major impediment to the advancement of the biodiesel industry. But, as oil prices increase along with the demand of consumers to be more environmentally conscious, the demand for alternative fuels will increase, which would mean the future for fields of biodiesel could look very bright for Ontario soybean growers.
