Chile – Biodiesel: Pilot projects to produce fuel from raps
- Image courtesy Telegraph
El Mercurio reported this weekend on the innaguration of a pilot bio-refinery in Temuco, Chile that will use rapeseed oil for feedstock . The project emerged after several years of research by Copec, la Universidad de La Frontera and Chilean agroindustrial firm Molinera Gorbea. Copec estimates that building a commercial biorefinery to supply B2 to the entire Southern region of the country would cost around US$ 20 million.
Rapeseed and Canola crops have become more popular in recent years as biofuel feedstock, particularly in Europe, because they tend to have a higher oil yield than crops like soy and a lower pour point, making rapeseed a better choice for cold climates such as southern Chile.
The pilot plant was supported by a coalition of academic institutions, Chilean companies and the federal government known as Fondo de Fomento al Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (Fondef). According to El Austral, Molinera Gorbea has been using rapeseed oil for several years as a fuel for its own internal energy needs.
Other Sources:
Introduction to Rapeseed Biodiesel
