Comprehensive use of rapeseed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agricultural activity
- Financing: LIFE/ENV/ES/000590
- Head researcher: Dr. Aser García
- Duration: 2013-16
This project is focused on the use of rapeseed to design a comprehensive solution to part of the pollution and sustainability problems associated with the primary sector. To do so, it intends to introduce formulas for energy saving and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, using 100% of the seed to obtain biofuel and recovering the residual cake generated for use in animal feed and thus try to reduce methane emissions associated with ruminant livestock-raising. This technically viable solution makes it possible to overcome the conflict between biofuel and human food production.
Objectives:
• Report indicating the state of the art in relation to the use of vegetable oils and mixing them with diesel as a fuel in farm machinery
• Definition of the control parameters for vegetable oils and mixing them with diesel
• Definition of the shelf life of the mixtures and their compatibility with the polymers and metals used in vehicles
• Creation of a network of producers
• To demonstrate that the consumption of biofuels can be increased by 20-40% without major mechanical problems
• To demonstrate that enteric methane emissions can be reduced by 10-20% while maintaining the production level of the animals