Journal of Energy Bioscience 2024, Vol.15, No.6, 368-377 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/jeb 374 yields, making these regions key players in rapeseed oil production (Xiong et al., 2022). However, the energy efficiency of rapeseed oil biodiesel production varies significantly across Europe, with energy losses in some regions, indicating the need for technological improvements to increase its feasibility (Duren et al., 2019). Figure 3 System boundary for the production of biodiesel from rapeseed (Adopted from Yang et al., 2021) Image caption: The foreground is the region with agricultural crop cultivation. The geospatial maps of dominant crop distribution, regional climatic conditions and soil types are used to characterize the site-specific condition of rapeseed cultivation areas. The left side shows inputs for rapeseed cultivation, transportation to biodiesel plants and transesterification processing. The middle segment illustrates the major life cycle process of rapeseed-based biodiesel production, and the corresponding environmental impacts are shown on the right (Adopted from Yang et al., 2021) 7.2 Policy incentives and challenges The European Union has implemented directives requiring at least 10% of energy consumption in the transport sector to come from renewable sources by 2020 (Herrmann et al., 2013). This policy framework supports the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices and provides economic incentives for small-scale biofuel production, such as in Italy, by promoting conservation agriculture to ensure economic viability and sustainability (Viccaro et al., 2019). However, some challenges remain, such as the environmental and economic impacts of large-scale biodiesel production, which may be exacerbated by climate events such as droughts, thus affecting crop yields and supply stability (Yang et al., 2021). In addition, high initial investment costs and the need for efficient supply chain management have become significant barriers to the widespread adoption of biodiesel (Viccaro et al., 2019). 7.3 Future prospects in sustainable energy Rapeseed oil has a promising future in biodiesel production, with current research focused on optimizing production processes and increasing crop yields. Innovative technologies, including ultrasound-assisted biodiesel production and enzyme-catalyzed in situ transesterification, are being explored to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact (Almasi et al., 2019). In addition, the development of high-yielding rapeseed varieties through advanced breeding techniques and the exploration of planting methods in special ecological environments
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