As fuel costs continue to rise, cutting costs is on everyone’s minds. If you have been wondering how to cut fuel costs for your farming operation, look no further as you can create your own biodiesel fuel and drastically reduce your fuel costs and reliance on fossil fuels. A biodiesel fuel oil press production system uses your own cropland to produce biofuel which can be used to run your farm machinery. If you are asking yourself, “Why use biodiesel for my farm?” then read on and learn the economic and environmental advantages for using a biodiesel oil press system to generate your own biodiesel fuel source.
Creating your own biodiesel fuel from an oil seed press system is a wise choice from an economic standpoint. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers tax credits, on a per gallon basis, to farms producing and using biodiesel fuel. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) also offers grants and loan guarantees to help defray the costs of investing in alternative fuel systems. These two sources of credits and grants can greatly impact your farm’s overall net profits.
The benefits of a biofuel oil press system are two-fold as it not only produces biodiesel fuel, but generates a high protein meal byproduct for your livestock. Once the seeds are processed into oil, the seed oil press then expels what remains of the processed seeds into a byproduct meal. Swine, poultry and beef grain costs are drastically reduced by using the byproduct meal extruded from the oil seed press.
The question of why use biodiesel fuel for my farm is easy to answer. If you grow any of these oil seed crops, which are compatible with the seed oil press, then your fuel and feed costs can be drastically reduced: Soybean, canola, safflower, rapeseed, sesame, cotton, sunflower, pumpkin seed are just a few of the compatible seed crops.
Operating a biodiesel oil press system is easy. The first step in the oil press extrusion process is to pour the seed into a hopper. The seed does not need to be hulled as the seed oil press extrudes and processes the meat of the seed and expels the hulls. The seed is then moved through a screw press which is electrically heated and thermostatically controlled. The oil is pumped on to a processing tank and mixed with potassium chloride and methanol in the appropriate amounts to make biodiesel fuel. The remaining crushed seed hulls are expelled as a high-protein feed meal byproduct which can feed your livestock.
Using biodiesel fuel is environmentally friendly as it is a renewable fuel source. Another advantage to biodiesel fuel is that it is safe to use around workers, crops and livestock because it is biodegradable and nontoxic. Putting a portion of your crops to use as a fuel and feed source will help create a self-sustaining farm and offset the rising costs of operating your farm, which puts more money in your pocket.
