http://dx.doi.org/10.21276/ijlssr.2017.3.2.4

Green Biodiesel Production Potential from Oil

Seeds in Iran

Meysam Madadi1,2*, Aqleem Abbas2, Zahoor1,2

1Biomass and Bioenergy Research Centre, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China

2College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China

2Department of Plant Pathology, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan

*Address for Correspondence: Mr. Meysam Madadi, Biomass and Bioenergy Research Centre, College of Plant Science

and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China

ABSTRACT- Due to the concern on the accessibility of recoverable fossil fuel resources and the environmental problems caused by the use those fossil fuels, considerable attention has been given to biodiesel production as an alternative to petro-diesel. In Iran, biodiesel can be as an optimum alternative fuel for diesel fuel. The biodiesel production potential from oil seeds such as cottonseed, soybean, rapeseed, corn, sesame, olive, sunflower, safflower, almond, walnut and hazelnut in Iran was investigated. Oil seeds are not commonly used for energy application in Iran. This is because of

noticeable resources of oil and natural gas in Iran and also most of the edible oil (almost 90%) is being imported for human consumption. Purpose of this study is to cover several outlooks on the size of the biodiesel oil seeds resource in Iran. In the present study, data was collected from Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2014. Around Iran, 826708.6 ha of land from 13 states are anticipated to be suitable land for cultivating of oil seeds. There are about 2.72 million tons of oil seed crops in Iran that can potentially produce 408692.088 million litter of biodiesel every year. Cottonseed, soybean,

rapeseed, almond and olive are the most favourable biodiesel production source. In Iran, water is a main problem for growing plants, therefore drought-resistant oil seed crops will be produced such as cotton, rapeseed, soybean and safflower etc. Based on the results, drought-resistant oil seed crops can be grown in Iran and these oils can be used in biodiesel production industry.

Key-words- Iran, Bioenergy, Biodiesel, Oil seed