El nopal It is a crop that is rich in sugars with a high level of alcohol, so it has very important natural qualities to be used in the production of biogas or electrical energy.
Its high yield is verified taking into account that 1 hectare of nopal can produce 43.200 cubic meters of biogas or 25.000 liters of diesel, well above other types of biomass.
The caloric capacity of nopal is similar to that of natural gas but cleaner.
This crop does not require large machinery or processes for its cultivation so it is a viable alternative to produce biofuels or energy.
The process of transforming nopal into biofuels is economically profitable, so a great boom is expected to use this crop as an energy source.
Mexico is one of the main producers of nopal since it is an indigenous food widely consumed by its population. Faced with this new scenario, this country has an opportunity to increase its production and generate significant profits.
The nopal is added to a long list of crops with which energy can be produced or fuels. It is important that different crops are used to avoid monocultures for energy use since they damage the environment and degrade natural conditions so that the land cannot continue to be used.
The use of sustainable agricultural techniques and processes are vital to being able to produce crop-based fuels in the long term.
Prickly pear is a very good raw material for biogas plants because it is cheap and has a very good yield, but significant productions are required to supply them.
Evaluating the capacity and production conditions necessary for each crop is important when choosing which type of crop to use for power generation.
As a researcher dedicated to the study of nopal as an energy crop, I sincerely appreciate the existence of this article, but I think it would be advisable to take a little more care in its wording (so that it does not give rise to misunderstandings) and review the potential biogas production figures, exaggerated to my understanding, even in the best possible scenario.