On-farm Seed Crushing to Create Biodiesel

Big Sky Biofuels owner Paul R. Miller wants to see farmers powering their own tractors and combines according to Billings Business.

"The idea is to encourage sustainable production and to have the farmer grow oilseed crops capable of fueling their operations," Miller told Billings Business.

The company's portable seed crusher and a generator that powers it fit on a flatbed trailer and can be hauled directly to a farm, where it can be used to extract oil from crops like canola, camelina, safflower and sunflower.

The crusher can process up to five tons of seed per day and apart from yielding vegetable oil, the seed hulls can be used to make a protein-rich livestock feed, which can replace corn and other feed, the business news agency says.

At the farmer's option, the pressed vegetable oil can be converted into biodiesel, which is created by treating the oil with common chemicals. The process, known as transesterification, removes glycerine from the oil and yields a fuel that can be blended with traditional petroleum-based diesel. Some biodiesel advocates prefer to run their vehicles on 100 percent biodiesel, Mr Miller said.

He added that the beauty of raising your own fuel is that the farmer can set aside a portion of his acreage to raise oilseed crops, which can be a huge benefiit when the cost of fuel in raising crops can account for 80 per cent of the costs.

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