Peanut Biodiesel

 

Why use peanut oil?

• Highest potential in SE (see table below)
• High oleic varieties = high quality diesel
• The first diesel engine was powered bt peanut oil!

Crop	Gallons Fuel/acre
Peanut	100+
Canola	75
Soybean	65

What are the benefits?

• Single farms, or groups of farmers, can be fuel independent
• Clean burning, renewable fuel
• Costs less than buying petro-diesel
• Capture tax credits and incentives from the government
• Peanut meal (by-product) is valuable animal feed

How do I make biodiesel?

• One ton farmer stock peanuts yields about 100 gal crude peanut oil + 800 lbs meal
• Crude peanut oil is mixed with methanol and a catalyst (lye)
• The result is methyl ester, or biodiesel (B100)
• B100 will run in any diesel engine without mdification; or can be blended to your specifications

This chart illustrates B100 yield per acre for 8 varieties grown in a low-input, low cost production system. No fungicides, insecticides, and very little herbicides were used.

 

Download handout of this page or for more information contact:

• Wilson Faircloth
• Chris Butts
• Manuel Hall