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The Herefordshire Sustain Project is to investigate the possibility of using alcohol made from surplus apples in the production of bio-diesel.
Funding has been secured from the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands for a feasibility study, the first stage in assessing the potential for this exciting new development.
The Orchard Topic Group convened by The Herefordshire Sustain Project have been working to reduce the risks of large-scale orchard loss arising from the growing surplus of cider apples throughout Herefordshire, the introduction of the new single areas payments of the Common Agricultural Policy and Manures Management Guidance issued by the Food Standards Agency - this innovative idea came out of the workings of the group.
If alcohol derived from apples were used as a processing additive, it would provide an alternative to toxic methanol that is almost universally derived from fossil fuels. Currently, methanol is used to cleanse bio-diesel of gums that block fuel lines. Because the proposed process can be designed to be “carbon neutral”, the use of apple alcohol holds the prospect of increase by one-fifth the savings in carbon dioxide emissions derived from using bio-diesel.
This project is all the more timely, because of the imminent introduction of the Bio-fuels Directive (in 2005), which will mandate a minimum proportion of bio-fuel to be blended with all transport fuels. Herefordshire’s Ultra-Low-Carbon bio-alcohol could provide sufficient processing additive for around 60% of the West Midlands planned production of bio-diesel, contributing to a major reduction in transport fuel derived carbon emissions.
The idea came from Herefordshire Council’s Environment Support Unit working with the Climate Change Working Group of the Herefordshire Partnership, Herefordshire Sustain, Defra, The Duchy of Cornwall, Herefordshire Council’s Tourism and Leisure Department, Conservation and Landscape groups and many other groups including farming representatives, English Nature and the Bulmer Foundation.
The feasibility study is due to report by the middle of November.
We are hopeful that this project will be as successful as our other recent activities to preserve, conserve and save Herefordshire's orchards. The Food Standards Agency have backed down on the inappropriate inclusion of orchards in their Manures Management Guidance as a direct result of our lobbying. We have also been successful in urging government to accept as eligible Dual-Purpose Standard orchards in the new single areas payments of the Common Agricultural Policy.
BID TO USE APPLES TO MAKE BIO-DIESEL
The Herefordshire Sustain Project is to investigate the possibility of using alcohol made from surplus apples in the production of bio-diesel.
Funding has been secured from the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands for a feasibility study, the first stage in assessing the potential for this exciting new development.
The Orchard Topic Group convened by The Herefordshire Sustain Project have been working to reduce the risks of large-scale orchard loss arising from the growing surplus of cider apples throughout Herefordshire, the introduction of the new single areas payments of the Common Agricultural Policy and Manures Management Guidance issued by the Food Standards Agency - this innovative idea came out of the workings of the group.
If alcohol derived from apples were used as a processing additive, it would provide an alternative to toxic methanol that is almost universally derived from fossil fuels. Currently, methanol is used to cleanse bio-diesel of gums that block fuel lines. Because the proposed process can be designed to be “carbon neutral”, the use of apple alcohol holds the prospect of increase by one-fifth the savings in carbon dioxide emissions derived from using bio-diesel.
This project is all the more timely, because of the imminent introduction of the Bio-fuels Directive (in 2005), which will mandate a minimum proportion of bio-fuel to be blended with all transport fuels. Herefordshire’s Ultra-Low-Carbon bio-alcohol could provide sufficient processing additive for around 60% of the West Midlands planned production of bio-diesel, contributing to a major reduction in transport fuel derived carbon emissions.
The idea came from Herefordshire Council’s Environment Support Unit working with the Climate Change Working Group of the Herefordshire Partnership, Herefordshire Sustain, Defra, The Duchy of Cornwall, Herefordshire Council’s Tourism and Leisure Department, Conservation and Landscape groups and many other groups including farming representatives, English Nature and the Bulmer Foundation.
The feasibility study is due to report by the middle of November.
We are hopeful that this project will be as successful as our other recent activities to preserve, conserve and save Herefordshire's orchards. The Food Standards Agency have backed down on the inappropriate inclusion of orchards in their Manures Management Guidance as a direct result of our lobbying. We have also been successful in urging government to accept as eligible Dual-Purpose Standard orchards in the new single areas payments of the Common Agricultural Policy.