Rapeseed
From BioenergyWiki
Bioenergy > Feedstocks > Rapeseed/Canola
Rapeseed is a flowering plant in the Brassicacae family that is a major global source of vegetable oil. Rapeseed oil is the most common feedstock for biodiesel in Europe, especially in Germany. "Canola" is a common North American cultivar of rapeseed.
Contents |
Biodiesel from rapeseed
- In the United States, rapeseed is a minor source of biodiesel. U.S. production of biodiesel in 2007 is estimated to have been 85% from soybeans; 5-12% from waste oil, cottonseed, canola, and palm oil; with the remaining 3-10% coming from animal fats, according to the National Biodiesel Board.[1]
Issues
- Herbicide-resistant genetically modified varieties of rapeseed were first introduced in 1995 [2]. For a summary statement of risks associated with genetically engineered crops used to produce biofuels, including rapeseed, visit the Biotechnologies page.
- While oil from rapeseed can be used for biofuels, this plant is not as productive as alternatives like oil palm, which is a much more efficient producer of oil and requires less land than any other oil-producing crop. One hectare planted with oil palm yields an average of three tonnes of oil per year. To produce that much oil from canola, sunflower or soy, up to ten times more land would be required. (However, palm oil plantations have been associated with destruction of rainforests.)
Organizations
- Canola Council - "represents canola growers, input suppliers, researchers, processors and marketers of canola and its products".[3]
News
- Solix Biofuels begins production of oil made from algae, 23 July 2009 by Denver Business Journal: Solix Biofuels Inc., a Colorado State University startup company, "has started the production of oil made from algae."
- Camelina could lead drive for new source of biofuel 28 May 2007 from the Tri-City Herald. Camelina, "a plant that flourished in Europe roughly 3,500 years ago could become a major source of biofuel and a potentially major new crop" in the US. Camelina may be able to "grow in more arid conditions, and does not require extensive use of expensive fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, and may produce more oil from its seeds than other crops such as canola and at, by some estimates, half the price".
- Farmers eye oilseed plants for biodiesel, 25 April 2007, by Associated Press, reports that farmers in California are investigating growing crops for biofuel, such as canola "on unproductive land that can't support higher-value produce" or "as a cover crop that might improve soil quality between more profitable plantings of berries or leafy greens."
- Even if successful, however, the economic benefit may be limited, as the article stated: "A typical biodiesel crop could earn California growers a maximum of $200 an acre each year — far less than their current average annual yield of $2,000 an acre, said Robert Van Buskirk, a scientist with the U.S. Department of Energy."
| Bioenergy feedstocks | edit | |
|
Biodiesel feedstocks: Ethanol feedstocks: | ||
| Biodiesel | edit | |
| Biodiesel production | Biodiesel companies Biodiesel producers by country | Biodiesel organizations | ||
| Biodiesel feedstocks: Currently in use: soybeans | palm oil | coconut oil | rapeseed | sunflower seed | castor beans | jatropha | karanj | jojoba | waste vegetable oil | animal fat | ||
| Currently in research and development: algae | halophytes (saltwater plants) | ||
 Navigation
| ||
| What is bioenergy? | Benefits/Risks | Who is doing what? Events | Glossary | News | Organizations | Publications | Regions | Technologies/Feedstocks | Policy | Timeline | Voices | ||
