In 2004, students involved in Heifer In Your Tank found that you can travel from Edmonton to Calgary on the methane produced from 88 heifers. Using their information and combining new technologies such as biodiesel, we have found a better way to get your Hummer further down the road.
We compared two fields, each consisting of 20 acres of canola – one used to produce biodiesel and the other fed to cows which produce methane – and calculated the energy harnessed from each field. We then compared the fuel mileage of a Hummer using both kinds of fuel to determine which can get the Hummer further.
Biodiesel is made from canola oil which can be converted at a 1:1 ratio from canola oil to biodiesel. From 20 acres of canola, yielding an average of 45 bushels per acre, we can make 120 gallons of oil per acre, or 2500 gallons total. Changing oil to biodiesel takes relatively little time and is very efficient. From our yield of oil, 2500 gallons of biodiesel can be created. At 14 miles per gallon, this amount of fuel will be enough to drive 35000 miles or 50 000 kms. Using information from the previous Heifer In Your Tank group, enough methane would be produced from 20 acres of canola to drive 4,500 km. Biodiesel made from canola would allow travel of an extra 45,500 km at 14 miles per gallon.

Using cows to create methane, is a relatively inefficient process as a large amount of energy is used for both production and maintenance of the cow. Producing biodiesel eliminates the production and maintenance losses from the animal, allowing an energy savings of ten-fold.
Biodiesel is made using a chemical process called transesterification which adds a strong acid to the oil and produces a byproduct of glycerol and biodiesel. Glycerol can be sold in the market to offset some cost of production. Biodiesel offers many benefits both to the environment and to the user’s engine. Environmental benefits include reduced reliance on fossil fuels and lower emissions as compared to burning regular diesel. Biodiesel offers other benefits including increased consumer acceptance due to better smelling exhaust. Using canola to make biodiesel adds a French Fry smell when the fuel is burned. Benefits to engines, as compared to regular diesel fuel, include better lubrication, especially when compared to new ultra low sulphur diesel introduced in October 2006. Sulphur is ow limited to 15 parts per million, and it played an important part in adding lubrication to diesel fuel. Biodiesel is supported by many engine makers in the agriculture industry, including John Deere and New Holland which both allow use of up to 5% blend of biodiesel with regular diesel in their new equipment.
This is a very exciting new technology helping agriculture throughout Canada. When comparing energy created from 20 acres of biodiesel vs. 20 acres of methane, 10 times the energy is created, showing biodiesel is a much better choice. Energy gains from biodiesel could be one of the future options for Canada’s farmers, and could help reduce dependence on fluctuating oil prices for industry.
“An increase in consumption of commodities driven by biodiesel manufacturing will drive prices higher, allowing a better future for Canadian farmers”, says Rick Dobush a Western Canadian Farmer. Next time you fill up your Hummer, remember that biodiesel helps your vehicle, farmers, and the environment.
- Dustin Dinwoodie, Nicole Hurt, Dan Rondeau and Chuck Scwanbeck