Potential assessment of non-edible sources for biodiesel production in Iran

Research subject: Iran is a country with high potentials for access to renewable energy sources such as solar, hydropower, wind, and biomass. Biodiesel is one of the renewable fuels that has always been proposed as a suitable and stable alternative (non-toxic, safe, and degradable) to fossil fuels.
Research approach: The experiences of different countries in the use of edible sources for biodiesel production shows that the use of edible sources has caused problems such as lack of food resources for human communities, lack of feed for livestock, and upsetting the balance in the food industry, and it can lead to a significant increase in the price of these resources. Therefore, many researchers have proposed the use of non-edible sources to address these problems. So far, very large non-edible sources for biodiesel production have been identified. In this paper, non-edible sources of biodiesel that are produced or have the potential to be produced in Iran are introduced and studied and a potential assessment study is presented for them. Main results In this work, the non-edible sources for biodiesel production are classified into four categories: agricultural waste, waste cooking oils, microalgae, and non-edible seeds. These sources are compared based on various parameters such as oil percentage, oil content per hectare, biodiesel production efficiency, viscosity, saponification number, and cultivation period, which according to the results, non-edible seeds, especially Nowruzak seeds, Castor, and safflower have been identified as the most rational and sustainable sources of biodiesel production in Iran. The present work also deals with the policies and incentives that the responsible institutions can apply for the prosperity of the biodiesel industry.