Biodiesel: A Renewable Fuel
Transesterification of vegetable oils or animals fats from cooking waste can produce a cleaner, non-toxic, renewable fuel, BIODIESEL. The carbon dioxide released does not exceed the carbon input from the oils of the plants and animals used to produce this alternative fuel to diesel. Better air quality, reuse of waste, and an economy less dependent on fossil fuels!
Biodiesel is a Low Carbon Fuel, biodiesel releases only the CO2 that was absorbed by the plants as they were growing. The energy to power the vehicle is actually derived from sunlight energy captured. The result is carbon balance. In reality, a small amount of fossil energy is required to make biodiesel, so the overall balance is about 80% less CO2, rather than 100% less.
Biodiesel is a Low Carbon Fuel, biodiesel releases only the CO2 that was absorbed by the plants as they were growing. The energy to power the vehicle is actually derived from sunlight energy captured. The result is carbon balance. In reality, a small amount of fossil energy is required to make biodiesel, so the overall balance is about 80% less CO2, rather than 100% less.
Why Biodiesel?
Studies show that biodiesel outperforms gasoline, ethanol, and conventional diesel in reducing climate-altering carbon dioxide emissions and in overall fuel-efficiency (see sidebars below).
Using 100-percent biodiesel (B100) eliminates all of the sulfur emissions associated with conventional diesel, cuts emissions of carbon monoxide and smog-producing particulate matter almost in half, and reduces hydrocarbon emissions by between 75 and 90 percent. Perhaps most significantly, using B100 reduces the emissions of carbon dioxide—the main greenhouse gas causing global warming—by more than 75 percent. Even using a blended biodiesel fuel like B20 (a 20-percent biodiesel/80-percent petrodiesel blend offered at most biodiesel fueling stations) still reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 15 percent, according to the Department of Energy.
Besides lowering emissions at the point of use, biodiesel fuel—made from corn, soy, or other plant matter—had a past life absorbing carbon dioxide while it was growing as a crop in the field. With its past carbon dioxide absorptions balancing its later carbon dioxide emissions, biodiesel results in an overall life-cycle lowering of carbon dioxide emissions over both conventional diesel and gasoline. The industrial processes used to produce biodiesel are cleaner than conventional diesel processes, reducing emissions associated with the life cycle of the fuel by more than 80 percent.
As a cleaner burning fuel, biodiesel is better for a car’s engine than conventional diesel, providing greater lubrication and leaving fewer particulate deposits behind. Biodiesel’s high ignition point (350°F vs. –43°F for gasoline) makes it a safer fuel as well. Biodiesel is biodegradable and considered nontoxic by the Environmental Protection Agency. All diesel vehicles have 20- to 30-percent higher fuel economies than comparable gasoline vehicles.
Biodiesel also frees car-drivers from reliance on dwindling fossil fuel resources and the world politics associated with obtaining those resources. It also keeps fuel dollars in the US. Biodiesel is more accessible than ever, with the number of public fueling stations in the United States rising from zero in 1997 to 750 today. To find a biodiesel fueling station or local biodiesel supplier near you, visit the National Biodiesel Board’s Web site.
Recycled Waste Oil as Fuel
Taking an even bigger step toward sustainability, some drivers bypass fueling at the pump or ordering a drum from a supplier and make their own biodiesel from the waste oil produced by local restaurants, converting what would have been garbage into a usable product.
SOURCE: http://www.greenamerica.org/livinggreen/biodiesel.cfm
SEVEN DAYS ARTICLE: Biodiesel Fleets Enter Vermont’s Fast Lane
Some companies that have made the switch to biodiesel in the Burlington area.
INTERVIEW WITH: Scott Gordon of Green Tech VT (former biodiesel producing company of Williston)
1) I noticed that Green Technologies is not producing biodiesel due to demand fluctuation. What has been the path of biodiesel production in VT over your time in the business?
Generally downward, with occasional spikes of interest
To the best of your knowledge, do you predict the demand of biodiesel to increase in the next 10 years?
Yes, EPA Tier III regulations, Renewable Fuel Mandate, and declining petroleum supplies, peak diesel has already happened, peak gasoline is not far behind. Peak diesel is sooner because diesel is only 10% of the refinery chain, it is the low man on the totem pole - any supply fluctuations are magnified for diesel, so the price of diesel, jet A, jet B, jp8 and fuel oil will all continue to fluctuate more and more wildly as supplies continue to tighten. Right now the redefinition of NGL’s (Natural Gas Liquids) as part of the crude inventory have temporarily buoyed the numbers - but this is little more than creative bookkeeping and actually reflects an accelerating decline in light crude and a shift towards heavy crudes and alternative sources of petroleum. We are already into the third or fourth decade of EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery) and this is nowhere clearer than for Cantarell.
And if so, is biodiesel profitable enough to resume production?
Not for me, my venture at about $200 K in capitalization is or was too small to be competitive as was Biocardel’s at about 1 to 2 million. It looks like the minimum capitalization to achieve the economies of scale necessary to be competitive is around 2 to 4 million minimum.
2) Which food businesses gave your company the most vegetable oil?
Restaurants
Was it sold or donated and if sold, were prices raised as demand for yellow grease increased?
They paid me initially, then donated. I got out when it shifted to paying for feedstocks.
3) Who purchased your biodiesel?
Small businesses, some farmers, some fuel oil users
Do you believe their motives were cost and/or values of sustainability and environmental-consciousness?
The green premium is 10-15%. That’s exactly how far people’s consciences can stretch in accordance with their pocketbook. Out fuel was competitively priced, that’s why people bought it…as fuel primarily, as green secondarily.
4) What was the percentage of biodiesel to standard diesel fuel?
100%
Do you see the slightly increased nitrogen oxide emissions of biodiesel as a concern (compared to conventional diesel NOx levels)?
That’s worse than a half truth. Fuel oxygenates tend to raise NOx by increasing combustion temperatures and engaging N2 into the oxidation process. However engine design is as great or a greater factor. Specific NOx strategies for some engines - like post injection are not compatible with biodiesel - others like common-rail injection have dramatic NOx lowering effects for biodiesel.
The entire diesel industry is kicking and screaming to avoid adding catalytic converters, the same fight gasoline engines went through 30 years ago…and lost to the Clean Air Act.
EPA tier III emissions in effect will require emission management for diesel engines. ULSD (Ultra-Low-Sulfur Diesel) is the first step down that road. Biodiesel is sulfur free, and thus is well suited to emissions control technologies.
5) In your eyes, is biodiesel the best waste-to-energy system?
No. The waste stream is too small. Biodiesel is and likely will continue to be a niche player. I do see biodiesel as a good transition platform to move from petroleum to mixed petroleum/biofuels and eventually to alternative more benign fuel platforms. And although I am not a big fan, green diesel and hydrocracking are powerful economic players. The hands down best waste to energy system(s) are F-T (Fischer-Tropch) synfuels, but we are just on the edge of profitability for that.
Member of the "R.I. Clean Cities Coalition" to promote biodiesel.
Briefly spoke to pump worker, he has noticed current interest and purchasing of biodiesel by commercial fleets. The price for blended biodiesel (B20, 20% biodiesel) is currently $4.17/gal.
ADDRESS:
9 Hylestead St.
Providence, RI 02905
Providence, RI 02905
