Biodiesel Facts
Background
Biodiesel is a safe, renewable, clean burning, domestically-produced fuel made from vegetable oils (such as soy and rapeseed) that can be used in existing diesel engines without modifications. Biodiesel is not synonymous with vegetable oil, although it is refined from vegetable oil, for example, used fryer oil from fast food restaurants. To make biodiesel, vegetable oil is combined with lye and methanol in a process called transesterification.
Biodiesel is:
- As biodegradable as sugar and less toxic than table salt.
- Approved by ASTM standards, and registered as an alternative fuel by the EPA, DOE, and DOT
- B100: 100% pure refined biodiesel
- B20: 80% petroleum diesel, 20% biodiesel
Costs at today’s market prices
- B20 costs $.20 more per gallon than petrol-diesel at the pump (institutions may be able to save a considerable amount of money by purchasing the fuel wholesale, directly from a distributor)
- B100 costs $1.00 more per gallon than petrol-diesel at the pump
- The Jobs Creation Act will drop the price of B100 by $1.00 starting early 200No additional operating and maintenance costs5
- In the long-term, may decrease the frequency, and therefore the cost, of routine maintenance such as oil and filter changes
- Most cost-effective alternative fuel at today’s prices; as cost of oil continues to rise, the marginal cost of biodiesel will continue to decrease.
- In 2003, over 25 million gallons of biodiesel were sold, compared to 500,000 gallons in 1999.
- To purchase biodiesel, visit the National Biodiesel Board website: www.biodiesel.org
Benefits
- Air Quality (All reductions relative to diesel fuel)
- 100% reduction in Sulfur Dioxides and Sulfates (major components of acid rain)
- 48% reduction in Carbon Monoxide
- 67% reduction in hydrocarbons
- 100% of the CO2 released by using biodiesel as a fuel is taken up by the next year’s crop of biodiesel-producing plants, causing some to label it a ‘carbon neutral’ fuel. However, if you take into consideration the emissions associated with harvesting and processing biodiesel, it would be more accurate to say that biodiesel releases 78% less CO2 than does diesel fuel. Most of the remaining 22% carbon emissions could be eliminated by fueling the production process with biodiesel as well. CO2 reduction is extremely important in mitigating the effects of global warming.
- Human Health (All reductions relative to diesel fuel)
- Diesel fuel exposes children to dangerous levels of carcinogens when school buses are left idling in schoolyards, as opposed to drastically lower levels of carcinogens in biodiesel.
- Reduction in carcinogenic compounds in emissions: (next page)
- 80% reduction in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
- 90% reduction in nitrated PAHs (nPAH)
- 47% reduction in particulate matter (which aggravates asthma, particularly in children)
- Reduces dependence on foreign oil
- Creates a new market for agricultural products, and supports American farmers.
- The USA leads the world in soy production, a crop which can be used to produce biodiesel
- Works with existing diesel infrastructure
- No engine modifications necessary
- Similar performance (equal fuel consumption, torque and horsepower as with petrol-diesel)
- Improvement in lubricity (reduced wear and tear on engines)
- Poised for integration into the fuel infrastructure, with biodiesel available through distributors in all 50 states, and at over 100 biodiesel pumps (and counting!) nationwide.
All figures from the NBB and the EPA.
For more information:
www.biodiesel.org
www.biodieselnow.com.
www.veggievan.org
www.journeytoforever.com/biodiesel.html
or email us @: info@projectbiobus.com |
