Energy balances of biodiesel production from soybean and canola in Canada

Abstract

. 2007. Energy balances of biodiesel production from soybean and canola in Canada. Can. J. Plant Sci. 87: 793-801. Biodiesel is currently produced in Canada mostly from recycled oils and animal fats. If biodiesel is to supply 5% of diesel usage, a government objective, first-time vegetable, likely from canola and soybean, oil will also be required to provide adequate feedstocks. In this review, we estimate the life cycle energy balances for biodiesel produced from soybean and canola oil under Canadian conditions. The three broad areas of energy inputs were crop production, oil extraction, and transesterification of the vegetable oil into biodiesel. Per unit seed yield, farm production energy inputs for canola were about three times higher than for soybean, mostly because of higher nitrogen fertilizer requirements for canola. Energy required for processing and oil extraction, per unit oil, was higher for soybean. Energy allocation for co-products was allocated using a system expansion approach. Protein meal was assigned about 12% of the energy expended for canola to grow the crop and extract the oil, and about 37% for soybean. Glycerine produced during the transesterification process was allocated energy on a weight basis (11.4%). The ratio of biodiesel energy produced per energy input ranged from 2.08 to 2.41. The energy ratio was similar for soybean and canola; soybean required less energy inputs, but also produced less oil than canola, for a given weight of seed.

Effect of N on Yield and Chemical Profile of Winter Canola in Mississippi

“…Winter canola can be grown successfully for biodiesel production 4,5 . The biodiesel advantages include its low sulphur content, no net CO 2 emission compared to convenAbstract: There is increased interest in winter canola as an oilseeds crop for production of oil or biodiesel in the southeastern United States, but research has been limited.…”

Biodiesel from Oilseeds in the Canadian Prairies and Supply-Chain Models for Exploring Production Cost Scenarios: A Review

“…Recent life-cycle assessment (LCA) for biodiesel energy balance shows an increase of 14% in energy gain for no-till compared to conventional tillage [15]. Energy inputs required to grow and convert canola to biodiesel are higher than for soybean, reflecting higher crop production inputs (i.e., fertilizer) and larger amounts of oil required for transesterification (conversion segment 3).…”

The impact of increased biodiesel production on the greenhouse gas emissions from field crops in Canada

“…Although sacrificing cropland for vehicle fuel can raise both ethical and ecological issues (BusinessGreen, 2008;Kurki et al, 2006;UN, 2007), this article is not an evaluation of the efficacy or merits of biodiesel as an energy source. More complete LCA of Canadian biodiesel production have been undertaken by Smith et al (2007) and Rollefson et al (2004), and others.…”