In this contemporary period, farmers are adopting various smart farming procedures to be progressive technically and economically.
For this, they are also making choices for having reliable and efficient solutions for heating by heating oil.
Farmers use the farm heating oil for managing the livestock, heating, and fueling the machines.
The smart use of various farm fuels is helping the farmers to have environmentally friendly operations. This is especially beneficial to be used in the harsh winters.
Nowadays, there are different kinds of fuel oil available in the market like kerosene, biodiesel, gas oil etc. They are helpful for best-of-a-kind farming activities.
This article will be a guide for you to become aware about what is efficient agricultural oil and why farmers are shifting to the use of heating oil for farming operations.
We have to find first what are the uses of heating fuel in farming operations.
Farming Activities And Heating Oil Use
There are various cultivation activities where heating oil can be used. The agricultural sector of the UK has a consumption of energy at a high level. For the year 2020, the farm procedures were in need of 473 thousand metric tons of petroleum and 84 thousand metric tons of oil similar to natural gas.
Fueling machinery: Farmers use the heating oil system for empowering various equipment for farming. These machines can be different kinds of commercial boilers, generators, furnaces, and water heaters.
Heating: The agricultural oil is needed for drying the crops, heating poly-tunnels and greenhouses, heating livestock, steam superheating, heating water, etc.
Storing fertilisers and pesticides: You need to store the pesticides and fertilisers in a place that will have a temperature at a constant level, for this farmers use farm heating oil. The continuous heat reduces the chances of damage or spoilage and freezing of the pesticides and fertilisers in a severe cold weather.
Crop protection: In the process of agribusiness agricultural oil is also used to protect the crops from damage. This is needed especially in winter. The fuel works for empowering various kinds of heaters for the system of frost protection and greenhouses.
Lubrication: The types of farm heating oil like gasoline are also used for lubricating the equipment of the farms like pumps, harvesters, and tractors. They also work for the long performance of the machines.
Transportation: Fuel from heating oil storage is also used for producing plastic and plastic is used for storing and transporting farm produce. Different kinds of farming goods are also transported by semi-trucks, farm trucks, and various agricultural tractors. The farm heating oil is used to fuel these vehicles.
Which Are The Heating Oils Used In Smart Farming In The UK
The farmers of the UK use 30% to 75% of energy for their farming process. It has been estimated that by the year 2040, the different kinds of agricultural oil will be used in 967,000 metric tons similar to petrol and 90,000 metric tons similar to gasoline.
Kerosene: In countries like the UK kerosene is a very well-known fuel to be used in farming. It is used to fuel various machines to enhance their work capacity. It has dependable and clean-burning heating sources and is the best for the heating oil system used in farming.
Red diesel: The farmers generally use red diesel as an agricultural oil for empowering the vehicles that are used off-road. They can be heavy equipment like diggers, harvesters, etc.
Propane: Propane has a low level of boiling significance which is -42°C. Thus, this becomes a choice by an absolute majority of farmers in the UK. This is also used for pest control with other farming activities.
Natural gas: The farm heating oil like natural gas can be used for producing the substances of nitrogen. In the fertiliser the Nitrogen is a significant substance and it is utilised for increasing the crop yields. This form of gasoline is used between 70% to 80% for the production of different kinds of fertilisers.
HVO: HVO is considered a sustainable type of fuel and thus, it gives various benefits for reducing air pollution and GHG emissions. The farmers of the UK are using the heating oil system of HVO in a large number of farming activities.
Kleenburn kerosene: Kleenburn kerosene has cleaner-burning substances and it also releases fewer pollutants in the air. This fuel works to reduce the consumption of fuel in farming activities.
Bio-diesel: The alternative to the traditional heating oil is biodiesel. In the farming of the UK, it is used for producing soybeans, various kinds of oil-seed crops, and production of on-farm fuel.
Efficiency Of Kerosene And HVO As Heating Oil For Farms
If you compare heating oil like HVO or hydro-treated vegetable oil and kerosene as a farm fuel, the HVO will be considered to release less emissions by giving the same outputs of heating as kerosene. However, you also have to consider their availability in certain areas.
Kerosene: Being popular as 28-second oil kerosene is generally used for heating oil storage for homes. This fuel is also used for farming processes to power various machines which need clean-burning rootage.
Safety to be used: If stored and used properly the kerosene can be a reliable farm heating oil. This can also release fewer levels of hazardous fumes.
Available in remote areas: There are a few remote areas where people do not get access to gasoline and electricity. In those areas, kerosene availability becomes a dependable option as a farm heating oil.
Have long shelf life: The heating oil storage of kerosene should be proper. This can lead to a shelf life of nearly five years for this energy source.
HVO: HVO is used for various farming and industrial work processes and activities. This meets the standards of policies of EN 15940 paraffin.
Needs less investments: You need to pay a little more price for HVO than kerosene or DERV. But as per its environmental sustainability, this is considered less expensive.
Future Vision of UKPIA of 2019: The future work mode of UKPIA or the United Kingdom Petroleum Industry Association for the year 2019-2020, focuses on the use of green and environmentally friendly fuel sources like HVO for industrial and farming operations.
Government Heat and Buildings Strategy of 2021: As per the rules of government heat and buildings the people of the UK will use more sustainable and energy-efficient heating sources for residential and commercial purposes. The use of HVO can be a great option for this.
Safe Storage Of Farm Fuel
The best quality of storage will give you long-lasting services. This becomes more necessary for the use of farm heating oil. If you choose the best quality of fuel you need to store it in a right and safe place.
Reducing the risk of fuel theft: The heating oil storage needs to be protected from theft. Thus, in your farming area, you need to hide the location where you have kept the system. You can also use filler caps and various kinds of CCTV cameras.
Maintaining the farm operations: While choosing the farm heating oil you also need to take care of how it can be more efficient for farm operations. You always need to try to keep the heating oil system clean and free from any kind of damage. You can also use the CMMS or computerised maintenance management system.
Avoiding delivery refusals: After choosing agricultural kerosene you need to confirm the options and timing of the delivery. You can also give prior information to the supplier about your needs.
Storage regulations: The choice of agricultural oil is also connected to the regulations for storage. In the UK the farmers can store nearly 1500 litres of fuel. In a situation of storing more than this, you have to follow the rules of pollution control of water and/or regulations of SSAFO or Silage, Slurry, and Agricultural Fuel Oil storage and usage.
Why Farmers Are Shifting to Efficient Heating Oil
In countries like the UK, the use of heating oil for farming operations can be expensive. However, you can get reasonable prices at a particular time of the year and can get easy access to various locations and areas.
Heating oil is more efficient than gas: As compared to gasoline, farm heating oil can produce more heat. This type of fuel can produce 140,000 British thermal units(BTUs)/gallon and the gasoline works for producing 100,000 BTUs/gallon.
Heating oil is more productive than other fuels: Heating oil systems can have 16% more work efficiency than the system of gasoline. The new systems can have a workability of nearly 83% to 94%.
You can depend more on heating oil than electricity: The heat from a heating oil storage mechanism has more density of energy as compared to electricity. Thus, you can be more dependent on this.
Has clean-burning substances: The heating oil like premium kerosene can also be a good choice for farmers. This agricultural fuel burns cleaner and also has very less odours.
Heating oil lasts for long: Heating oil that is stored can be used for 18 months to 24 months. This can last longer than that of gasoline.
The Bottom Line
In a smart farming operation, there is a need for the best choice of farm fuel. Various smart farmers are now planning to use various heating oils.
The use of agricultural oil is becoming more cost-effective for them and they are getting easy access to this even in a few remote areas.
While choosing a farm fuel you need to consider the facts of the world SDGs.
Currently, the government of the UK is also working on the rules to encourage farmers to have farming operations in a climate-friendly way.
Choose farm fuel which will release less emissions and will give you more heat and heating oil can be a good choice for this.