Researchers in Saskatoon, Canada, are getting excited about a canola-coal project.
University of Saskatchewan research chair Ajay Dalai has been exploring the use of canola meal pellets as an eco-friendly alternative to coal aka “biocoal” or “biofuel”.
While biocoal is a phenomenon in the forestry industry, it’s not common in agriculture despite amply waste material.
The one exception in Australia is sugar cane ethanol.
“I’ve been working five or six years on this project,” Dr Dalai said.
“It’s time to produce the pellets on a large scale to see the consistency of the product.”
The trick to will be forming pellets suitable for storage, transporting and burning to produce heat and power.
Dr Dalai’s latest research, published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, demonstrates that canola meal can be formed into a high quality pellet by adding various additives to serve as binders and lubricants to keep out moisture during storage.
The upcoming commercial trials will put his theory to the test.
In 2019, Canada produced over 18 million tonnes of canola.
Canola meal is what’s left of the crop after the oil is extracted and is normally fed to livestock.
Heating homes is serious business in Saskatoon where the weather is currently hovering between -15 and 0℃.