German study reveals most rapeseed biodiesel will not meet 2017 emission targets

In Germany, the German Biomass Research Center conducted a study on optimizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rapeseed biodiesel. The study sought to analyze current default values for GHGs from rapeseed biodiesel, and to outline areas to improve current GHG levels.

At the current default levels for GHG reduction, most biofuels will not meet GHG emissions reduction goals set for 2017. The study found that in the cultivation process, “the production and use (field emissions) of industrial nitrate fertilizers proved to be the main influencing parameters for the overall results.”

The study concluded that by varying industrial nitrate fertilizers and using biodiesel instead of diesel in the agricultural production processes, it is possible to make considerable improvements for reducing the overall emissions caused during rapeseed cultivation from 29 kg CO2 Eq./GJ biodiesel to roughly 21. If biodiesel were used instead of fossil fuel, emissions related to fuel use during cultivation would be reduced from 5.87 to 3.44.

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