What is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications.

Biodiesel has been proven to reduce certain tail-pipe emissions, it is nontoxic, biodegradable, and totally renewable.

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Where does Biodiesel come from?

Biodiesel is produced from virgin vegetable oils (mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids) through a refinery process called transesterification. This process uses a chemical reaction to remove glycerin from the oils. Biodiesel can be produced using a variety of U.S. crops including flaxseed, cottonseed, sunflower and canola. However, most biodiesel sold on the open market today comes from soy bean, a crop currently grown by over 400,000 farmers in 29 states.

Fuel-grade biodiesel must be produced to strict industry specifications (ASTM D6751) in order to insure proper performance. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Biodiesel that meets ASTM D6751 and is legally registered with the Environmental Protection Agency is a legal motor fuel for sale and distribution.

Raw vegetable oil or homegrown biodiesel that does not meet ASTM fuel specifications cannot be registered with the EPA, and is not a legal motor fuel.

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Why use Biodiesel?                     ::back to top::

Biodiesel is quickly becoming the leading alternative fuel source in America to replace fossil fuels. Private corporations, government fleets, and average citizens alike are putting more biodiesel into their gas tanks each year. Biodiesel is easy to produce, easy to use, safer for humans, less polluting, truly renewable, and it supports our domestic economy. Below are a few of the benefits of using biodiesel.

1. A Renewable Fuel Source.
One of the major problems with fossil fuels such as gasoline, petroleum diesel, natural gas and coal is that they come from finite sources of minerals and gases trapped in the earth’s crust. These natural resources are limited in their availability and will eventually run out. We have already seen the “peak” of world coal production which is now in decline, while petroleum fuel and natural gas are not far behind according to energy experts. Biodiesel, in contrast, is produced from farm-grown crops that are generated and harvested each year. Like other agriculture products, these crops may be produced in perpetuity. In this way, biodiesel is a truly renewable resource and therefore may sustain our fuel needs indefinitely.

2. A Domestic Fuel Source.
America’s dependence on foreign oil continues to jeopardize the economic and social freedoms upon which this nation was founded. In many ways, our international relations, our economy, and our environment have all been compromised by our dependence on foreign oil. Biodiesel is produced on American soil, from crops grown on American farms, and it is used to power America’s industries. Our domestic economy should not have to import sources of energy, because we are able to produce our energy here at home. The social, economic, and environmental benefits of becoming energy independent will be critical to sustaining a safer and more stable way of life for all Americans.

3. A Cleaner-Burning Fuel Source
Biodiesel has been proven through government and non-government agency studies to reduce tail-pipe emissions. These include greenhouse gases and toxic emissions such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfates, and particulate matter. The level of emissions reduction depends directly on the blend of biodiesel-petroleum used; the higher the percentage of biodiesel in a blend, the greater the reduction in emissions we see. These emissions reductions are important both for our environment and for our health. Certain emissions, such as carbon dioxide, are leading causes of global climate change and others such as sulfur oxide, are linked to acid rain. Others emissions, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) are considered cancer-causing agents by the Environmental Protection Agency. Both our public health and our environment, therefore, depend on cleaner burning fuels like biodiesel.

* Estimated from B100 result
** Average reduction across all compounds measured
*** 2-nitroflourine results were within test method variability

4. A User-Friendly Fuel Source
One of the reasons why biodiesel is gaining such popularity among municipal and private fleet managers is because it is such an easy fuel to use and manage. Some alternatives to diesel, such as natural gas, require new technologies or extensive modifications to existing engines. Biodiesel, however, can be used in existing diesel engines with no modifications at all in most cases. It can be blended with petroleum at any ratio. It can be managed and stored the same way as petroleum diesel. These factors make it very easy to transition a fleet slowly towards a cleaner and renewable fuel source.

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Who is using Biodiesel?         ::back to top::

Biodiesel use in America has nearly tripled each year since 1999, rising from 500,000 gallons produced then to over 25 millions gallons produced in 2003. Each year, more fleet managers turn to biodiesel to meet increasingly stringent emissions standards, to voluntarily mitigate their impact on the environment, or to begin reducing their dependence on foreign oil. Below is a brief list of just a few of the 200 fleets now using biodiesel in the U.S.

Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort (CO)
Aspen Skiing Company (CO)
Baltimore Gas & Electric (MD)
Town of Breckenridge (CO)
Cedar Rapids Transit (IA)
Cincinnati Metro (OH)
City of St. Louis (MO)
Clark County School District (NV)
Deer Valley School District (AZ)
Florida Power & Light Co. (FL)
Georgia Power Co (GA)
Lambert Int’l Airport (MO)
Las Vegas Water District (NV)
Medford School District (NJ)
New Jersey Dept of Transportation (CA)
Peterson Airforce Base (CO)
Prince Kuhio Charters (HI)
Rockland Industries (AZ)
City of Taipei, Taiwan
St John’s School District (MI)
Scott Air Force Base (IL)
USDA-Ag Research Service (MD
) USDA-Forest Service (WY)
US Postal Service (FL, NY, and CA)
University of South Dakota (SD)
University of Vermont (VT)
Yellowstone National Park (WY)

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How much does it cost?         ::back to top::

Generally, biodiesel costs more per gallon than petroleum diesel, partly because the production of biodiesel is smaller than that of petroleum at present, and partly because of government subsidies which keep petroleum diesel prices low. In fact, many economists believe that without these subsidies, the price of petro-deisel would rise to $7 or $8 per gallon to reflect the true cost of oil extraction, refining, transportation and the environmental and public health effects of consumption.

Although prices vary from one region of the country to another, biodiesel seems to be hovering around $2.80/gallon on average. This is approximately $0.90/gallon more expensive than conventional diesel, although in some areas the difference is much smaller. The higher cost of biodiesel is perhaps the greatest challenge to fleets considering its use. The need for government subsidies or tax breaks to create an economic incentive for fleets and individuals to use biodiesel is obvious.

What may be less obvious are the costs to our environment, our public health, and our national security from not using biodiesel.

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How can I support Biodiesel?

:: If you drive a diesel vehicle you can purchase biodiesel locally at Catherine’s Store (Highway 82 between El Jebel and Carbondale.)

:: Support the Roaring Fork Biodiesel Demonstration Project. Find ways for fleets that use large quantities of fuel to use biodiesel is a great way to move biodiesel forward.

:: Ask if your local government can use biodiesel in its fleet.

:: Sign up for our newsletter to hear of ongoing ways you can support the use of biodiesel and other ways to create cleaner, greener transportation options.

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