With a decline in fossil fuel supply (inevitable in the medium to long term) the attention will switch to renewable sources for on-farm fuel use and to renewable and/or nuclear for off-farm electricity generation. The renewable fuel that is most likely to be suitable for use in tractors and other self-propelled machines is esterified oil from oilseeds.
Even when oilseeds (esterified, partially refined or crude) are used as diesel fuel extenders, the economic difficulty still persists and will continue until such time as diesel oil supplies begin to dwindle or until a more appropriate substitute fuel (renewable or nonrenewable) should emerge. Should diesel fuel supplies run out and an appropriate substitute fuel fail to emerge, tractors and other engine-driven equipment could convert to spark-ignition engines. These are more versatile in terms of fuel use (e.g. renewable alcohol, as well as nonrenewable hydrocarbons) even if less suited to the heavy workloads in agriculture.

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With a decline in fossil fuel supply (inevitable in the medium to long term) the attention will switch to renewable sources for on-farm fuel use and to renewable and/or nuclear for off-farm electricity generation. The renewable fuel that is most likely to be suitable for use in tractors and other self-propelled machines is esterified oil from oilseeds.
Even when oilseeds (esterified, partially refined or crude) are used as diesel fuel extenders, the economic difficulty still persists and will continue until such time as diesel oil supplies begin to dwindle or until a more appropriate substitute fuel (renewable or nonrenewable) should emerge. Should diesel fuel supplies run out and an appropriate substitute fuel fail to emerge, tractors and other engine-driven equipment could convert to spark-ignition engines. These are more versatile in terms of fuel use (e.g. renewable alcohol, as well as nonrenewable hydrocarbons) even if less suited to the heavy workloads in agriculture.

Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3

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