4 Current Status of the Biodiesel Industry and Its Assessment …
117
participation of scientists from France, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Malaysia
[16–18]. In 1994, the US Department of Energy commissioned research institutes,
including the University of Kansas, to study the applicability of multi-feedstock
biodiesel (Multi-Feedstock Biodiesel Project—Phase II, Mr. Steve A. Howell). The
US has experimented with 40 vegetable oils on their short-term performance in an
internal combustion engine. These include soybean oil, peanut oil, cottonseed oil,
sunflower seed oil, rapeseed oil, and palm oil. Some researchers on energy plants
have predicted that by 2050, 80% of the global liquid oil will originate from woody
plants, herbal oil plants, and algae.
Today, the raw materials for large-scale biodiesel production include soybean
(US), rapeseed (European Communities members), palm oil (Southeast Asian
countries), and vegetable oil residues and recycled edible oil (Japan and Ireland).
China is home to a wide variety of oil plants for biodiesel production. A total of
138 families and 1159 species (including varieties, and with more than 10% available
oils and fats content) can be used as biodiesel raw material. As the researches deepen
and technologies improve, more plants will be placed on the biodiesel production
list. China has abundant energy plant resources, which promises a bright future
for biodiesel production. High-quality raw material of vegetable oil is the basis
for high-quality biodiesel and high production yield. Therefore, a major challenge
before us is to select appropriate species from all these types as raw material for
cost-effective quality biodiesel production in China. With long-term experiment and
research, combined with field study and market research, we have accumulated basic
data for vegetable oil raw material selection. They can serve as evaluation indicators
for relevant technologies and as reference for China’s research, development, and
utilization of biodiesel.
4.3.1 Research Methodology and Techniques
4.3.1.1 Data Source and Analysis
(1) Data source: research data or data collected by researchers during the eighth,
ninth, and tenth five-year Plans; documents and data published by international
economic organizations.
(2) Data processing and general analysis.
Based on the requirements for oil plant selection, the Delphi survey, cluster
analysis, as well as quantitative and qualitative analysis can be used to determine the indicators and weight of raw material selection. Accordingly, resource
classification and evaluation can be conducted to select the desired species.
(3) A comparison of oils and fats content of woody plants and herbal crops is
presented in Table 4.1. By referring to the goal of developing and studying
biodiesel in China, such data can be used to determine the appropriate raw
materials for biodiesel production.
(4) Content indicators of the research object.
117
participation of scientists from France, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Malaysia
[16–18]. In 1994, the US Department of Energy commissioned research institutes,
including the University of Kansas, to study the applicability of multi-feedstock
biodiesel (Multi-Feedstock Biodiesel Project—Phase II, Mr. Steve A. Howell). The
US has experimented with 40 vegetable oils on their short-term performance in an
internal combustion engine. These include soybean oil, peanut oil, cottonseed oil,
sunflower seed oil, rapeseed oil, and palm oil. Some researchers on energy plants
have predicted that by 2050, 80% of the global liquid oil will originate from woody
plants, herbal oil plants, and algae.
Today, the raw materials for large-scale biodiesel production include soybean
(US), rapeseed (European Communities members), palm oil (Southeast Asian
countries), and vegetable oil residues and recycled edible oil (Japan and Ireland).
China is home to a wide variety of oil plants for biodiesel production. A total of
138 families and 1159 species (including varieties, and with more than 10% available
oils and fats content) can be used as biodiesel raw material. As the researches deepen
and technologies improve, more plants will be placed on the biodiesel production
list. China has abundant energy plant resources, which promises a bright future
for biodiesel production. High-quality raw material of vegetable oil is the basis
for high-quality biodiesel and high production yield. Therefore, a major challenge
before us is to select appropriate species from all these types as raw material for
cost-effective quality biodiesel production in China. With long-term experiment and
research, combined with field study and market research, we have accumulated basic
data for vegetable oil raw material selection. They can serve as evaluation indicators
for relevant technologies and as reference for China’s research, development, and
utilization of biodiesel.
4.3.1 Research Methodology and Techniques
4.3.1.1 Data Source and Analysis
(1) Data source: research data or data collected by researchers during the eighth,
ninth, and tenth five-year Plans; documents and data published by international
economic organizations.
(2) Data processing and general analysis.
Based on the requirements for oil plant selection, the Delphi survey, cluster
analysis, as well as quantitative and qualitative analysis can be used to determine the indicators and weight of raw material selection. Accordingly, resource
classification and evaluation can be conducted to select the desired species.
(3) A comparison of oils and fats content of woody plants and herbal crops is
presented in Table 4.1. By referring to the goal of developing and studying
biodiesel in China, such data can be used to determine the appropriate raw
materials for biodiesel production.
(4) Content indicators of the research object.