Techno-economic comparison between B10 of Eruca sativa L. and other indigenous seed oils in Pakistan

Eruca sativa L. (known as taramira in South Asia) oil biodiesel shows good fuel properties when tested against ASTM D 6751 standard. Environmental performance of taramira oil B10 (10% (v/v) biodiesel blends with mineral diesel fuel, which is based upon the target set by the Government of Pakistan for 2025) in terms of engine exhaust emissions of CO(2), CO, SO(2), NO(x) and PM(10) is compared with jatropha, castor and canola oil B10 fuels and found to be better. However, its calorific value is low thus resulting in poor engine performance in comparison to other B10 fuels. In addition, due to the high cost of taramira oil at present, it is not economical to produce in comparison to jatropha biodiesel. Study suggested that these drawbacks may be circumvented by growing taramira plants on large scale on marginal lands across South Asian countries and conducting further research to increase its calorific value. (C) 2010 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.