Tired of paying for diesel? John Deere’s prototype 8R tractor, fueled by E98, could help make that a reality by enabling farmers to produce their own ethanol fuel.
The vehicle, which would have similar power equivalent to diesel-fueled models, would check a lot of boxes. The 9-liter engine won’t require DEF. It would boost ethanol consumption. After last year’s big corn crop, building domestic demand is on everyone’s minds.
“There’s a lot of corn that is grown — 17 billion bushels,” said Josh Garetson, director of John Deere’s renewable fuels and corporate strategy. He stressed the conversation around ethanol’s use in farm machines is still just a discussion. Advocate organizations like the National Corn Growers Association and technical experts from machinery brands like Deere are beginning to talk about it because “the volume availability of this fuel source is a good opportunity.”
Hurdles to overcome
There are plenty of hurdles before the tractor could make it to your farm. Relying on ethanol as a primary fuel source isn’t possible today. And modern diesel-driven tractors can’t burn ethanol. Their compression-based engine systems need a spark-ignition redesign, similar to passenger cars.
Last-mile delivery is another problem. Distribution pipelines don’t currently exist for E98. Instead, it’s transported cross-country via trains, and regionally in trucks. While unconcentrated ethanol is readily available at gas stations nationwide in low-blend mixes like E10 and E15, there isn’t concentrated ethanol available at the pump.
Nor can it be easily delivered to the farm gate. Even if it could be, farmers don’t have ethanol-compatible machinery or the necessary storage infrastructure. Existing tanks can’t be used because diesel has a different chemical makeup.
Thus, ethanol’s agricultural adoption will require a long-term and comprehensive “ecosystem change,” Garetson said, highlighting an exploratory project undertaken by Deere that’s currently testing ethanol’s on-farm viability via a one-off concept tractor. “This fuel isn’t known to farmers for use today.”
In partnership with Deere, the National Corn Growers Association is helping with on-farm testing and soliciting grower feedback on the technology’s feasibility.
Field testing ethanol
To better understand its capabilities and limitations, Deere is experimenting with a converted a mid-300-hp 8R prototype tractor that runs on ethanol. Deere tested the machine, which was showcased at this year’s Commodity Classic, on “a few farms last fall” in Iowa and Illinois. Field tests will expand this year and the next.
Garetson said low emissions can be achieved in this kind of power system via a much simpler catalytic converter.
“We want diesel-like performance,” he said, stressing, “It is still a prototype,” and availability won’t be for a couple of years.”
Powering farms with homegrown crops could help boost domestic corn demand. Imagine a circular economy where farmers feed corn into an ethanol plant, even as ethanol plants supply farms directly with concentrated ethanol fuel for specialty machines.
How it might work
Theoretically, farmers could sell their grain to proximate ethanol processing plants, many of which are in the Corn Belt, and then conveniently fuel up before heading home. For some, these plants are “literally across the road” from their farms, Garetson said. Unlike other alternative fuels like biodiesel, which requires separate crushing and refining facilities, ethanol can be processed and distributed from one location.
Currently, 1,000 corn bushels can be converted to roughly 3,000 gallons of ethanol, fueling specially designed tractors for many working hours. Its low cost — about $1 to $1.20 per gallon in the Corn Belt —would offset comparatively higher consumption.
Beyond the economic opportunities ethanol could create for farmers, it’s good for the environment. Ethanol burns cleaner than fossil fuels. Domesticating fuel production also bolsters national security by reducing reliance on other countries.
For ethanol to reach the mass agricultural market, much more research and technological development is required to adapt both machines and the fuel itself. Regulations would have to be overhauled, specialty machinery lines launched, logistical infrastructure created and costs made reasonable through repeatable processes.