Biodiesel
Biodiesel Farm Equipment Study Finds No Problems
Biodiesel blends performed well through all seasons, on new and old equipment
Want a copy of the final report from the study?
The final report study can be downloaded from the Saskatchewan Research Council web site.
Off-Road Biodiesel Demonstration – Agriculture Sector
The study found no problems. In a Saskatchewan Research Council study conducted from August 2009 to November 2010, farmers used various types of equipment fueled with blends containing from 2% to 10% canola-based biodiesel. The farmers had no biodiesel-related equipment problems. Researchers conducted the study in consultation with agriculture and transportation industry groups through the federal government’s National Renewable Diesel Demonstration Initiative.
The study was conducted at Foam Lake, Saskatchewan, and included eight agricultural producers using over 50 pieces of farm equipment ranging from sub-100-horsepower yard tractors to +500-horsepower, 4-wheel drive tractors. A wide range of combines and swathers and several engine brands and types were represented. Biodiesel-blended fuel was incorporated into the participants' existing farm operations with no modifications to equipment, fuel storage facilities, or fuel handling practices.
Biodiesel works through all seasons, on new and old equipment. The study found that biodiesel blends perform well through all seasons, even when left in tanks from harvest end to harvest beginning the following year. During the study period, temperatures ranged from -36°C to 31°C. The study tested equipment ranging in age from 1965 to 2009 without any performance problems.
Biodiesel reduces Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. The requirement for an average of 2% renewable fuel in diesel and heating oil in Canada, combined with provincial regulations, will reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to four megatonnes—the equivalent of taking one million vehicles off the road. Biodiesel is produced from renewable resources, helping to conserve Canada’s non-renewable resources.
Biodiesel blends will soon be mandatory. The Renewable Fuels Regulations, published in the Canada Gazette on September 1, 2010, require an average of 2% renewable content in diesel fuel and heating oil. The Government of Canada has proposed a coming into force date of July 1, 2011 for the regulations, which are part of Canada’s Renewable Fuels Strategy.
Produced in consultation with:
Saskatchewan Research Council
Milligan Biotech Inc.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Canadian Renewable Fuels Association
Environment Canada
Natural Resources Canada
New Energy Consulting
Canadian Federation of Agriculture
Enterprise Saskatchewan
Canadian Canola Growers Association
Grain Growers of Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture
Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture
Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture
Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick
Union des producteurs agricoles (Québec)
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Ontario-Quebec Grain Farmers Coalition
Keystone Agricultural Producers (Manitoba)
Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan
Wild Rose Agricultural Producers (Alberta)
British Columbia Agriculture Council
Dairy Farmers of Canada
Chicken Farmers of Canada
Egg Farmers of Canada
Turkey Farmers of Canada
Canadian Hatching Egg Producers
Canadian Pork Council
Canadian Sugar Beet Producers' Association
Canadian Wheat Board
Canadian Young Farmers Forum
Canadian Horticultural Council
Farmers of North America (Strategic Agriculture Institute)
Produced with funding from Natural Resources Canada
