Neiker-Tecnalia and CEMITEC will assess the comprehensive use of rapeseed
One of the aims set by the project is to show that when rapeseed oil cake is included in the diet of ruminants, cuts in excess of 10% can be achieved in the amount of methane they expel in their digestion process. This project will also study the use of the oil extracted as fuel for agricultural vehicles and the effects of introducing rapeseed cultivation into the traditional rotation. The project led by Neiker-Tecnalia is part of the European Commission’s LIFE+ programmes which are mainly seeking to develop initiatives that will encourage environmental protection and cut greenhouse gas emissions associated with agricultural and livestock activities. Ruminants and methane emissions One of the aims set by the project is to show that when rapeseed oil cake is included in the diet of ruminants, cuts in excess of 10% can be achieved in the amount of methane they expel in their digestion process. Experts have calculated that the daily diet of sheep or cattle ruminants can include up to eight per cent of rapeseed cake. Furthermore, sheep fed on this material produce milk with an optimum profile in terms of fatty acids and better nutritional qualities. Neiker-Tecnalia is currently setting up a network of farmers to facilitate the conducting of a study into incorporating rape seed cultivation into the rotation. Cultivating rape seed increases the levels of organic material in the soil, thus improving its structure and enabling more efficient use to be made of water and imputs. The setting up of this farmer network will boost the relationship between the area of public research (Neiker) and agricultural enterprises (farmers).Among the possible outcomes of this project features the development of spheres of co-operation between farmers and stockbreeders that will encourage networks of local consumption of rapeseed oil and cake. CEMITEC will be exploring the use of the oil extracted directly from the pressing of rape seeds as a fuel for agricultural machinery. Previous studies show that it can be added to diesel in a proportion of up to 30% of the fuel tank, without the need for any kind of engine modification whatsoever. CEMITEC will be specifying the proportions of the right mixture for each engine type, and will be studying the compatibility of the engine materials with the biofuel and the stability over time of diesel-oil mixtures.Neiker-Tecnalia researchers are currently quantifying the cut in CO2 that is made in the emissions of engines that use rapeseed oil as biofuel with respect to those that use exclusively conventional diesel of fossil origin. The Neiker-Tecnalia project has been selected by the European Commission’s LIFE+ programme from among over 1,150 initiatives received for its 2012 call. It has a budget to the tune of 1,024,000 euros, of which 512,000 is being funded by the European Union and the rest by the Innovation management and agribusiness department of the Government of the Basque Autonomous Community and CEMITEC, which is acting as Neiker-Tecnalia’s partner in this project.
Countries
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, United Kingdom