Science shows that biofuel burns cleaner and is a less energy-intensive product so not using fossil fuels is in itself a huge net gain .
The recent UK fuel crisis saw filling stations across the country run out of petrol and diesel .
A tanker-driver shortage also saw widespread fuel rationing and the government even considered bringing in the army to help keep petrol stations open .
This led to a wider discussion about alternative options and whether hemp could be a viable solution .
It has long been known that hemp can be used to make bioethanol and biodiesel but this has never been commercialised .
In fact , with the right processing , biodiesel could power traditional diesel cars without the need for any modifications .
Hemp is cheap to produce , thrives in most climates and , with only bamboo growing faster than hemp , the plant is very ecofriendly .
So why is hemp not on sale in every filling station in the country ?
One big disadvantage is that hemp biofuel is less energy-efficient than traditional fossil fuels - around 50 percent more biofuel is needed to obtain the same amount of energy .
It also has higher production costs as the fuel extraction process is more complex than alternatives such as corn and sugarcane . is not already a viable substitute for fossil fuels .
Dr Robert Pearce from the University of Kentucky ( UK ) said more research was needed to develop more efficient extraction processes , saying that ‘ there is just not a market right now ’.
He also highlighted that a huge processing infrastructure was needed to support a viable hemp biofuel industry .
The agriculture expert said : “ Because you ’ re dealing with bulky biomass material , you need that infrastructure in place .
“ Transportation is going to eat farmers up if they have to bring that material very far . We need regional centres where farms have a short distance to go for processing .”
However , if extraction and infrastructure problems can be overcome , researchers have found that industrial hemp could create a sustainable diesel fuel , with 97 percent of the hemp oil being converted to biodiesel .
Jody McGinness , executive director of Hemp Industries Association said : “ Science shows that biofuel burns cleaner and is a less energy-intensive product , so not using fossil fuels is in itself a huge net gain .”
In fact , the experts at Biodiesel magazine concluded that its lack of economic competitiveness is the main reason that it
127