Using Pure Vegetable Oil as Fuel on the Farm
1. Presentation
Characterization of the technique
Description of the technique:
| Rémy Ballot | INRA | remy.ballot(at)grignon.inra.fr | Grignon (78) |
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Transform oilseed crops (rapeseed, sunflower...) produced on the farm into pure vegetable oil by cold pressing and filtration. The oil produced can be used as fuel, mixed with diesel or pure with tractor adaptations. The cakes produced during pressing can also be used as animal feed.
Example of implementation:
30 quintals of rapeseed produced on one hectare yield about 1 ton of pure vegetable oil and 2 tons of cakes after cold pressing and filtration or decantation. The oil can be used as fuel mixed with diesel or pure if the tractor is adapted. The cake can be incorporated into the ration (2 kg of rapeseed cake replaces 1 kg of soy cake).
Implementation period
Spatial scale of implementation Farm
Application of the technique to...
All crops: Not generalizable
Vegetable oil production can only be done from oilseeds.
All soil types: Easily generalizable
All climatic contexts: Easily generalizable
Regulation
POSITIVE influence
The use of pure vegetable oil as fuel is authorized for farms that produced the seeds. The sale of pure vegetable oil between farms is also authorized.
Article 49 of the Agricultural Orientation Law
2. Services provided by the technique
3. Effects on the sustainability of the cropping system
"Environmental" criteria
Effect on air quality: Increasing
phytosanitary emissions: NEUTRAL
GHG emissions: DECREASE
Effect on fossil resource consumption: Decreasing
fossil energy consumption: DECREASE
Other: No effect (neutral)
Water: Warning: if the use of pure vegetable oil involves changes in crop rotation (introduction of rapeseed for example), this may result in increased use of inputs and increased risks of transfers to water.
Air: The use of pure vegetable oil as fuel limits the use of fossil fuels and related carbon dioxide emissions.
Fossil energy: The use of pure vegetable oil as fuel limits the use of fossil fuels. Indirect fossil energy consumption is also reduced (fuel transport to the farm, cake transport for animal feed...).
"Agronomic" criteria
Productivity: No effect (neutral)
Soil fertility: No effect (neutral)
Water stress: No effect (neutral)
Functional Biodiversity: No effect (neutral)
"Economic" criteria
Operating costs: Variable
If the use of pure vegetable oil involves changes in crop rotation (introduction of rapeseed for example), this may result in increased operating costs. In mixed farming systems, the valorization of cakes allows a cost reduction related to livestock feeding.
Mechanization costs: Decreasing
The production of pure vegetable oil requires equipment for pressing (from €1,500 to €60,000 for a press) and filtration (from €150 to €20,000 for a filtration device) or a CUMA or ETA service. Use as fuel may also require tractor modifications (€2,000 to €6,000). Each liter of vegetable oil produced corresponds to one liter of diesel not purchased.
Margin: Variable
The impact of production/use of pure vegetable oil on profitability depends on the purchase price of diesel and the selling price of oilseeds. In all cases, for the substitution of diesel by pure vegetable oil to be profitable, it is necessary to valorize the cakes (self-consumption in mixed farming systems or sale to breeders in cereal systems). Group investment in pressing/filtration equipment is also a way to improve the profitability of pure vegetable oil production.
Other economic criteria: Decreasing
Fuel consumption: Decrease
The use of pure vegetable oil as fuel limits the use of fossil fuels. Indirect fossil energy consumption is also reduced (fuel transport to the farm, cake transport for animal feed...).
"Social" criteria
Working time: Increasing
The production of pure vegetable oil on the farm involves additional workload.
Observation time: No effect (neutral)
4. Organisms favored or disfavored
Favored Pests
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Disfavored pests
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Favored Auxiliaries
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Disfavored auxiliaries
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Favored climatic and physiological accidents
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Disfavored climatic and physiological accidents
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5. For further information
- Production of cakes and pure vegetable oil
- -Guillot C.
FRCUMA Rhônes-Alpes, Technical brochure, 2009
6. Keywords
Pest control method:
Mode of action:
Type of strategy regarding pesticide use:
