EXPLOITING THE POTENTIAL OF

BIOFUELS

Don Cranfield, Plumpton College

19 July 2007

Project Background

•Worst Agricultural recession since 1930’s

•Some Commodity prices lower than in 1980

•Urgent need for alternative fuels

•Biofuels seen as an opportunity

•Pure Plant Oil (PPO) vs. Biodiesel?

Pure Plant Oil

•Produced on a local, sustainable scale

•Cold-pressed

•No chemicals

•But: - vehicles have to be converted

- less oil extracted from OSR

Biodiesel

•Produced on a larger scale

•Chemical extraction process

•Cleaning of fuel uses much water

•Glycerine waste product

•But: - no engine modification required

- use of water may reduce in latest developments in the cleaning process

Plumpton College First Step

•Approached by Blooming Futures after first seminar on biofuels

•Pool car converted – VW Golf

•Single tank conversion

•Running on PPO since May 2006

•No problems

•Much interest generated

The Biofuels Centre•Grant funding received from SEEDA for a centre

•Demonstration processing unit – press for OSR and other seeds

•Will demonstrate a sustainable system - production of raw materials, extraction, use of PPO, use of bi-products

•Training Programme and educational materials

•Research and testing facility, with the University of Brighton

Interreg Project

•Partner in Somme region

•Small project to share research and development of training

•May lead to a larger project in 2008 - 2010

Economics of Production•OSR yield on the College estate is 4T per Ha

•3T OSR produces 1T oil = 1000 litres PPO

•Residual cake: 20% oil content: high feed value

•As a commodity, OSR sold off farm for £175T

•Capital costs: 24.5ppl* - based on £15000 depreciated over 3 years, 25000 litres p.a. Processing costs 6ppl; tax 29ppl; if sale price of 90ppl, 333 Litres PPO worth £101T

•Residual cake worth £117T (but only 2T from every 3T processed, so £78 per T processed)

So, processing OSR for PPO achieves £179T, i.e. no real margin at current diesel fuel prices

Future Developments

•PPO is one piece of a large jigsaw of alternative fuels

•If all arable land in UK was used to grow OSR, only 10-15% of the total road fuel requirement would be produced

•Plumpton College will explore extraction from other seeds (including grape) and other biofuels – anaerobic digestion, biomass, etc.

•Further research and development in association with the University of Brighton and the Somme region

Any Questions?