BIOFUEL FEASIBILITY CALCULATOR
The Biofuel Calculator This calculator illustrates the costs and potential financial benefits of using oilseed rape oil as a substitute for mineral diesel fuel. It incorporates the cost and output variables involved in extracting vegetable oil and processing biodiesel from oilseed rape. The calculator uses Options A to E as case studies to illustrate examples of on-farm oil extraction and biodiesel costs and output, both at individual farm and collaborative group levels. The calculator provides a pence per litre cost for rapeseed oil or biodiesel production, based on a comprehensive range of variables, each of which can be individually altered. It also displays the final total saving over the current diesel price, based on the amount produced and cost per litre. It illustrates the opportunity cost of processing rapeseed on farm, both in income and gross margin foregone. Farmer's Option The calculator also allows users to input their own data in the "Farmers Option" column, based on information they have gathered as to the desired level of output, including working hours per day, days per year and oil extraction rate. It calculates the resulting daily and annual oilseed rape seed requirement in tonnes. The calculator then allows expected capital and operating costs to be inputted. These can be based on the farmer's own research into the expected set-up and operating costs, and can be directly compared to the case study options. Those wishing to use the calculator should input data in the non-shaded boxes, starting in the "Output" worksheet. A link at the bottom takes users to the "Capital and Costs" worksheet. Financial results, including total costs and total saving over the retail diesel price are displayed in the "Headline Results" sheet. CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE CALCULATOR CLICK HERE TO GO TO HEADLINE RESULTS
BIOFUELS CALCULATOR FARM & CROP DATA Unit Farm size Oilseed Rape area Average yield Total Oilseed rape seed Sale Price Total Oilseed rape seed output Oilseed Rape gross margin Establishment and fixed costs Oilseed Rape net margin hectares hectares tonnes per hectare tonnes £ per tonne £ £ per hectare £ per hectare £ per hectare 500 320 3.25 1,040 153 159,120 235 173 62
FUEL PRICE & DUTY Unit Current retail diesel price (inc. VAT)£ per litre Duty charged: Oilseed rape oil Biodiesel 0.999
£ per litre £ per litre
0.471 0.271
OUTPUT
Unit
Farmer's option
Rape seed crushing plant options A B C
Biodiesel plant options E D
Physical output: Crushing plant capacity Operating time Seed pressed per day Production days per year Annual tonnage pressed Oil extraction rate Total oil extracted Total oil extracted Oilseed rape oil output Total oilseed rape meal Hectares required (@ given yield) Financial output: Meal price Total Oilseed rape meal value £ per tonne £ 90 78,052 90 29,565 90 78,052 90 187,110 90 32,522 90 78,052 tonnes per hour hours per day tonnes days tonnes per annum % tonnes litres litres per day tonnes hectares 0.30 12 3.6 330 1,188 27 321 295,099 808 867 366 0.15 10 1.5 300 450 27 122 111,780 306 329 138 0.30 12 3.6 330 1,188 27 321 295,099 808 867 366 0.50 18 9.0 330 2,970 30 891 819,720 2,246 2,079 914 0.15 10 1.5 330 495 27 134 122,958 337 361 152 0.30 12 3.6 330 1,188 27 321 295,099 808 867 366
BIOFUELS CALCULATOR CAPITAL REQUIREMENT & COSTS
Unit
Farmer's option Option A Total £ / litre Total 450 111,780
Rape seed crushing plant options Option B Option C Total 1,188 295,099 £ / litre Total 2,970 819,720 £ / litre
Biodiesel plant options Option D Option E Total 495 122,958 £ / litre Total 1,188 295,099 £ / litre
£ / litre
Tonnage pressed per annum Total oil extracted per annum Capital Costs (Plant): Oil Press, filter & equipment Biodiesel plant Installation Costs Total Capital Costs Operating Costs: Capital Repayment and Interest Depreciation (over 10 years) Electricity Maintenance & parts Labour Total Operating Costs Biodiesel production costs: Methanol (£0.06 per litre) Catalyst (£0.005 per litre) Water (£0.003 per litre) Total Biodiesel Production Costs Building costs: Building rental value Space required Building rent payable Building maintenance Insurance Planning advice & fees Total Building Costs Miscellaneous Costs: Storage - oilseed rape seed Distribution Marketing Administration Total Miscellaneous Costs
tonnes litres
1,188 295,099
£ £ £
36,590 20,000 56,590
0.12 0.00 0.07 0.19
21,590 10,000 31,590
0.19 0.09 0.28
36,590 20,000 56,590
0.12 0.07 0.19
125,000 35,000 160,000
0.15 0.04 0.20
21,590 6,657 10,000 38,247
0.18 0.05 0.08 0.31
36,590 15,152 20,000 71,742
0.12 0.05 0.07 0.24
£ per annum £ per annum £ £ £ £
13,808 3,659 3,861 2,000 1,980 25,308
0.05 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.09
7,708 2,159 1,463 1,000 1,800 14,129
0.07 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.13
13,808 3,659 3,861 2,000 1,980 25,308
0.05 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.09
39,040 12,500 9,653 3,000 6,000 70,193
0.05 0.02 0.01 0.00 0.01 0.09
9,332 2,825 2,592 1,500 6,718 22,968
0.08 0.02 0.02 0.01 0.05 0.19
17,505 5,174 8,063 3,000 13,784 47,526
0.06 0.02 0.03 0.01 0.05 0.16
£ £ £ £
0 0 0 0
7,377 615 369 8,361
0.06 0.01 0.00 0.07
17,706 1,475 885 20,067
0.06 0.01 0.00 0.07
£ per sq m Sq metre £ £ per annum £ per annum £
35 75 2,625 300 220 265 3,410
0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01
35 50 1,750 200 130 265 2,345
0.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.02
35 75 2,625 300 220 265 3,410
0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01
35 75 2,625 300 750 265 3,940
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
35 58 2,030 200 169 265 2,664
0.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.02
35 91 3,185 400 310 265 4,160
0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01
£ £ £ £ £
6,178 1,100 700 700 8,678
0.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.03
2,340 400 270 270 3,280
0.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.03
6,178 1,100 700 700 8,678
0.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.03
15,444 3,000 2,000 2,000 22,444
0.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.03
2,574 450 295 295 3,614
0.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.03
6,178 1100 710 710 8,698
0.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.03
Rape seed costs: Oilseed Rape seed £ per annum 181,764 Meal value per tonne of pressed seed£ 66 Net cost of Oilseed Rape seed £ per tonne 87 Net cost of Oilseed Rape oil £ 103,712 TOTAL COSTS (excluding duty) Duty: Duty charged TOTAL COSTS (including duty) £ 141,108
0.62 0.00 0.00 0.35 0.48
68,850 66 87 39,285 59,039
0.62 0.00 0.00 0.35 0.53
181,764 66 87 103,712 141,108
0.62 0.00 0.00 0.35 0.48
454,410 63 90 267,300 363,877
0.55 0.00 0.00 0.33 0.44
75,735 66 87 43,214 80,821
0.62 0.00 0.00 0.35 0.66
181,764 66 87 103,712 184,164
0.62 0.00 0.00 0.35 0.62
£ £
138,992 280,100
0.471 0.95 0.850 -0.10
52,648 111,687
0.471 1.00 0.850 -0.15
138,992 280,099
0.471 0.95 0.850 -0.10
386,088 749,965
0.471 0.91 0.850 -0.06
33,322 114,142
0.271 0.93 0.850 -0.08
79,972 264,135
0.271 0.90 0.850 -0.04
Retail Price of Diesel (excluding VAT)£ per litre Variance (+ / -) £
BIOFUELS CALCULATOR HEADLINE FINANCIAL RESULTS
Farmer's option Option A Total £ Total oil extracted TOTAL COSTS (excluding duty) TOTAL COSTS (including duty) Retail price of diesel (excluding VAT) 295,099 141,108 280,100 47.8 94.9 85.0 p / litre Total £ 111,780 59,039 111,687
Rape seed crushing plant options Option B Option C Total £ 295,099 52.8 99.9 85.0 141,108 280,099 47.8 94.9 85.0 p / litre Total £ 819,720 363,877 749,965 44.4 91.5 85.0 p / litre
Biodiesel plant options Option D Option E Total £ 122,958 80,821 114,142 65.7 92.8 85.0 p / litre Total £ 295,099 184,164 264,135 62.4 89.5 85.0 p / litre
p / litre
Income foregone (opportunity cost): Rapeseed income foregone Rapeseed gross margin foregone Rapeseed net margin foregone VARIANCE OVER RETAIL DIESEL PRICE (+/-)
181764 85,902 22,674 -9.9
68850 32,538 8,589 -14.9 -16,651
181764 85,902 22,674 -9.9 -29,202
454410 214,754 56,686 -6.5 -53,028
75735 35,792 9,448 -7.8 -9,602
181764 85,902 22,674 -4.5 -13,238
TOTAL SAVING OVER RETAIL DIESEL PRICE-29,203