Advanced Biofuels and the use of KESSLER advanced Pongamia Oil.
In today's post, we share the latest results from our research on raw materials derived from our elite variety of the Pongamia tree, 5781-A and 5781-B. Our work focuses on providing extensive quantities of inedible oils, which serve as exceptional advanced raw materials for biodiesel production, including renewable biodiesel and Biodiesel FAME.
As is widely known, road transport using traditional fossil fuels is one of the most significant contributors to CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases. To combat this, one of the critical directions for development is reducing these emissions by transitioning to alternative fuels and increasing the share of advanced biofuels in transportation.
Why Advanced Biofuels Matter
Advanced biofuels are liquid fuels typically derived from non-food, plant-based feedstocks cultivated on severely degraded and desert lands. These feedstocks avoid conflicts with food supply and agricultural land use while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels over their lifecycle.
Currently, FAME biodiesel production relies heavily on vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, and other edible oils. Waste fats like used cooking oil (UCO) and animal fats are employed and classified as advanced raw materials due to their origin as production waste. However, these waste-based raw materials present significant challenges for biodiesel producers, including unstable physicochemical parameters. High palmitic acid content, for example, can disqualify their use during winter due to difficulties achieving the CFPP parameter in biodiesel.
The Role of Pongamia Oil in Biodiesel Production
So, can Pongamia oil serve as an adequate substitute for traditional vegetable oils? Our research and development achievements prove a resounding yes.
Numerous genetic varieties of the Pongamia tree exist, each producing oil with distinct physicochemical properties that determine their suitability for processes like esterification and transesterification. However, not all genetic varieties are suitable for cultivation in degraded and desert areas or capable of producing satisfactory annual yields.
At KESSLER, we focus on elite genetic varieties developed exclusively with the Israeli ARO Institute and tested on a pilot plantation in the Negev desert. Our varieties, 5781-A, and 5781-B, are specifically bred for cultivation in challenging environments, most fruitful on severely degraded land, and meet the criteria for classification as advanced raw materials.
Key Advantages of KESSLER Pongamia Oil:
KESSLER, operating in the field of Pongamia tree cultivation in desert and degraded areas, always bases its results, opinions, and detailed research results and conclusions solely on its own experience with the elite varieties of this tree created together with the Israeli ARO Institute, on a pilot plantation and research station in the Negev desert.
Our genetic varieties 5781-A and 5781-B have been designed and developed for cultivation on severely degraded land and desert soil, meeting the conditions for classification as advanced raw materials.
Oil from our genetic varieties 5781-A and 5781-B is inedible, fulfilling the second condition for classification as advanced raw materials.
The undoubted advantage of our oil is its stability in terms of physicochemical parameters. We have achieved this thanks to our genetic varieties and to the cultivation technology developed by the ARO Institute in such difficult terrain. Particularly important parameters of our oil for the production of FAME biodiesel are the content of such parameters as palmitic acid, FFA content, and sulfur content. The table below compares these parameters with other currently used edible vegetable oils.
Comparing Pongamia Oil with Other Feedstocks
Addressing growing biodiesel demand
The global demand for biodiesel is rising yearly, driven by the need to reduce emissions from private cars, trucks, heavy equipment, and mining machinery. Advanced biodiesel, produced from innovative, low-emission feedstocks, is critical to meeting this demand sustainably. The existing large-scale installations require almost infinite quantities of reliable advanced raw materials, and KESSLER/ARO advanced Pongamia oil is approved to fulfill this need.
Our Conclusions
Oil from KESSLER's elite genetic varieties 5781-A and 5781-B is an excellent raw material for FAME biodiesel production. Its stability, suitability for cultivation in degraded areas, and superior physicochemical properties make it a compelling alternative to traditional vegetable oils.
We invite our customers and potential partners to contact us for further detailed analysis and collaborative opportunities.
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