New Valuable Crop - Bio-Diesel and Ethanol

Ireland is too dependent for all its energy on countries that either don’t care about us, or are unstable and cannot be relied upon. The answer lies in the soil, our rich and plentiful farmland.

Biodiesel from oil crops such as rapeseed, and ethanol from grains, offer a real and viable alternative to imported fuels.

In the USA bio-diesel is the fastest growing renewable energy source. The number of bio-diesel retailers and distributors has grown from about 450 in 2002 to approx 3,000 now.

The number of farmers using bio-diesel has increased to one in two. Figures indicate that there are 50 U.S. bio-diesel manufacturers in operation with another 50 planned.

There is also 101 ethanol plants in operation with another 42 under construction.

Those plants currently output 5 billion US gallons of ethanol per year with the 42 coming on expected to add another 3 billion. Three years ago there were just over 2 billion US gallons a year. This means production has doubled in three years. Indications are it will double again over five years.

Currently ethanol is included as a portion of 40% of the USA's petrol. In California and other states ethanol is a component of every gallon of petrolIreland is too dependent for all its energy on nations that either don’t care about us or are unstable and cannot be relied on. The answer lies in the soil, our rich and plentiful farmland.

Biodiesel from oil crops such as rapeseed serves and ethanol from grains offer an alternative to imported fuels.

In the USA biodiesel is the fastest-growing renewable energy source. The number of biodiesel retailers and distributors has grown from about 450 in 2002 to approx 3,000 now.

The number of farmers using biodiesel has increased to one in two. Figures indicate that there are 50 U.S. biodiesel manufacturers in operation with another 50 planned.

There is also 101 ethanol plants in operation with another 42 under construction.

Those plants currently output 5 billion US gallons of ethanol per year with the 42 coming on expected to add another 3 billion. Three years ago there were just over 2 billion US gallons a year. This means production has doubled production in three years. It will double again in five years.

Currently ethanol is included as a portion of 40% of the USA's petrol. In California and other states ethanol is a component of every gallon of gasoline.

Now that is in a country with a share of it's own oil supplies. Good old slow plodding and naieve Ireland has virtually no home produced petroleum products, and we are doing little to plug the leak in the dyke!!

It gives one to think, has anything in planning and government improved since the famine?

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