A ship engine was powered entirely by rapeseed oil for the first time in Iceland this week. The project was undertaken by the research and development department of the Icelandic Maritime Administration in cooperation with N1 fuel company.

The project is part of an initiative launched by Iceland’s Ministry of Transport entitled “Environmentally Friendly Energy Sources,” 24 Stundir reports.

Research on plants viable for biofuel production that can be grown in Iceland show that rapeseed may be best suited for such purposes.

According to Jón Bernódusson, an engineer at the Icelandic Maritime Administration, rapeseed would only be grown in areas where it does not compete with grain and plants used for food production.

Bernódusson said 1,500 liters of biodiesel can be produced from every hectare of a rapeseed field. It could be used to power Iceland’s entire fleet of ships as well as all cars that have a diesel engine. “Biodiesel has the same characteristics as normal diesel and therefore the engines will not have to be changed.”

Bernódusson explained that growing rapeseed for energy production has other advantages too. “It would offset carbon dioxide because it needs carbon to grow. Rapeseed farming could prove an excellent opportunity for farmers who have land to spare.”

“When the oil has been pressed from the rapeseeds, the remains are used for protain rich animal feed for cattle, pigs and even cod like they do in cod farms in Norway,” Bernódusson said, adding that it could also potentially be used for food for humans.