Reduced diesel consumption

Diesel consumption on the farm comes from driving tractors or combine harvesters. It can also be used for heating, but we are not looking at that here. Biodiesel is an alternative, but the price has so far been too high.

Economical driving

Several tests have shown that you can significantly reduce diesel consumption by consciously driving economically. Many have reduced consumption by 15-20% just by driving smart.

Electric fertilizer pump

Here, one is thinking of replacing stirring or pumping out fertilizer with a tractor with an electric pump. Saves diesel, but uses electricity instead. Perhaps there are other stationary work operations with a tractor that can be replaced with electric alternatives? At Mære Agricultural School, we have measured that we use 2,000 liters of diesel to pump fertilizer. If we switch to an electric pump, we will have saved this, but we need 7,000 kWh more electricity. A prerequisite for making this switch is that there is a power supply with a large enough fuse where the pump must be located.

Switching to biodiesel

Same consumption (replaces 100%) This gives much lower CO₂ footprint, but is considerably more expensive than regular diesel. There is a lot of discussion here about how CO₂-effect is. And not least how the production of biofuels affects the environment, for example, if it comes from palm oil or soy.