Biodiesel fuel can be produced from many crops. But all crops are not alike. They grow in different geographies and environments; they yield different quantities of crops and oil; where the oil chemical composition varies. In short, some feedstocks are much better than others at producing biodiesel ...
| Feedstock |
Location | Yield |
Quality |
Benefit |
Drawback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapeseed Canola |
EU Canada |
**** | **** | High quality oil High crop yield Good seed mkt |
Modest acreage Food application |
| Sunflower | EU USA |
** | *** | Dryland usage | Low crop yield means high unit cost Food application |
| Soybean | US Brazil |
** | ** | High feedstock availability |
Low oil output from crops |
| Palm | Asia | *** | * | Low cost feedstock | Poor quality oil Environment issues |
| Jatropha | Asia Africa |
** | * | Marginal land | Poor quality oil Years to mature |
Why does this matter?
(a) Lower price at pump - Feedstock represents over 80% of total costs of refining biodiesel oil. High crop yields and large oil component means more oil can be produced per crop acre.
(b) Better refinery processing - The quality, or fat component, of feedstock oil varies. Some feedstocks are easier and cheaper for refiners to process.
(c) Improved engine performance - Higher monounsaturated fatty acids creates a chemically stable fuel with excellent engine performance, even at low temperatures.
(d) Food-vs-fuel - Some crops compete with either environmental concerns (involving slash-and-burn) or food production (crop displacement). But an ideal feedstock is compliant with long-standing crop rotation strategies.
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