A group of Co Wexford farmers have set up a company for the purpose of turning their brassica crops into 'black gold'. They are producing biofuel from crushing rape oil seeds.
"Oil from the soil" is the catchword of the group of farming friends who have already produced 1,800 tonnes of fuel oil from rape crops this year, which is being used to run farm and other vehicles in the area on an experimental basis.
In the coming growing season, the group, operating under the name Rapoleum, is committed to buying and crushing nearly 5,000 acres of the crop from farmers to meet what they hope will be an increasing demand. It is a move which could literally turn rural Ireland into oilfields.
However for Mr Paddy Lambert, in Adamstown, Mr Anthony Browne, in New Ross and another partner, Mr John Barron, their future will depend on the European Commission giving permission to the Government to allow a zero excise rating on the fuel. An application is currently being evaluated in Brussels.
"It is not within the remit of the Government to zero rate the fuel because of the EU regulations on harmonisation of taxation, so we are waiting for the Commission, which promotes the use of green fuels, to give the go ahead," said Mr Lambert.
"Without the zero tax rating, it would not be profitable to grow, crush and process the fuel, so we are in a kind of limbo until we get clearance."
There is no waste in the process. The by-product, a 'cake' of seed, can be substituted for soya in animal feed, Mr Lambert added.
The project "took legs", according to Mr Barron, when the men, who were all cereal farmers, were discussing the future of their business at an IFA meeting.
"We saw there would be a need for alternative crops and there is a clear need for substitute fuels, and we discussed the issue with Raymond O'Malley, who is one of Ireland's best known farmers and a big cereal grower," he said.
Mr O'Malley, who is based in Co Louth and has been heavily involved in IFA politics, agreed to act as chairman of the company, which they set up with another local man, Mr Anthony McCarthy, a marine engineer.
The local LEADER rural development organisation gave a grant for the company's first seed mill, which was set up in Adamstown, where the first harvest of 60 tonnes of oilseed rape was crushed.
In the following years they produced 600 tonnes of honey-coloured oil. This year this has tripled to 1,800 tonnes. With the increased production has come support from organisations interested in promoting alternative energy.
Mr Lambert explained the economics of the scheme which, he said, could be replicated across the country.
Oilseed rape, he said, could be grown both in winter and spring, with yields of one tonne per acre in the winter, and one-and-a-half tonnes from the spring crop. It had the advantage of being an excellent rotation crop to "rest" tillage ground.
He said the leftover 'cake' was currently the most profitable part of the operation.
"It is also a crop which can be grown on setaside and there is an extra payment from the EU of €45 per hectare for growing non-food crops," he said.
Mr Browne said the company had received support from groups in Bavaria and the Netherlands in setting up the operation. He said Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, had also provided a lot of information.
"There is on-going study on the project here involving work being carried out in Limerick University," he said.
The rapeseed oil fuel can be used in modified diesel vehicles. Modifications cost from around €1,000 to €1,500.