Here in Germany

[cruiser_2]

Hi folks,

Well I am here in Germany and seeing many many new things. One of the more interesting things is that they tend to use many more alternative forms of fuel over here. Several km away from here is a windfarm with HUGE windmills, I estimate the three blades are at least 50 meters long each. If anybody is interested I can send them some Pictures. I have also seen many uses of solar panels on the roofs of houses.



The most interesting item I have heard about but would like to see, is that Farmers grow a yellow flower that blooms sometime mid to late March and are harvested before they plant their main crop... here it Wurzburg is sugar beets. The Yellow flower is harvested and then made into Bio-Diesel. I am not sure of the process, but I have a friend over here who is a chemist that I am trying to find out the process.



I just thought that it was interesting that they make use of many of their available resources. One other thing that I found really nice is the number of family farms that still exist, and that the Urban sprall has not taken over the farms. The amount of Organic foods over here is amazing. I saw the farmers prepping their fields with manure, and it sure did smell rank, but I guess ti is cheaper than fertilizer.



Maybe we should grow some of thiose flowers ovewr here as an additional crop??!! Oh yeah... you ought to see all the diesel vehicles here. Mercedes, Audi, Ford, Renault, Citroen snd so many others that it's hard to name them.



I hope this is not too far off topic, but I thought some of ya'll might be interested.

 

[keimmmo]

I am a native born and raised American who lives in central Mexico. We have the big windmill electric generators in places down here as well. Mexico has plenty of oil, so they are not into making bio-diesel at all. However, MANY of the truckers add engine drain oil to their fuel as both a way to get rid of the oil and as free fuel. I add oil to mine as well.



Steve Keim

 

[rteig]

I would be interested in some pictures. An 8,000 acre wind farm was just built north of where I live. The Towers are amazing, I think that I heard 360 feet to top of the blade arc. Hopefully there will be more on the way, God knows we have no shortage of wind. Our governor is really pushing the alternative energy sources. I would really be interested in what the yellow flowering plant is and if it could be grown here in Montana... ... ... ... ... ... .

 

[Tinman]

Sounds to me like the yellow plant is canola. It was grown as a winter grain/cover crop down in south Georgia for a few years a while back. Makes for very picturesque scenery. It's not grown down here any more because of changes in the market and prices (probably b/o some government subsidy to somebody else. )

 

[rteig]

I was thinking it was probably canola, there was quite a bit of it around here a few years back and then everybody stopped growing it likely for the same reason (subsidies). I think the government should stop all CRP payments and force them into the production of canola, corn or what ever else can be grown as a fuel crop... I think it is going to happen it is just taking a while.....

 

[OWeigel]

I think its Rapeseed your talking about(maybe its canola in anther word!?)

In German I think its named raps as in Sweden.

The biodiesel produced from rapeseed is called RME (RapeseedMethylEsther?)

and are sold in Sweden in some stations. .

The truck runs great on RME100, but due to the winter and some reports on VP44 going bad after longterms of running Bio im carefull and just running RME 20 sometimes which is great. I´ve seen a mpg drop using RME 100 on overheadpanel (yes I know its bad). It seems to be fair due to the less energy of bio.

I saw an article about Germany is going to produce more RME in future.

Do a gooooogle on RME and find out!