Print     Email     Bookmark     Share

Biodiesel as a green alternative

For those of you who watch The Simpsons, one of their episodes Lard of the Dance shows us the way! Homer and company finds out about grease being worth some cash and enters the business of collecting the stuff to sell for cash. Groundskeeper Willie holds the most formidable stash of grease in Springfield, in the basement of Springfield Elementary. That's the first time biodiesel entered this author's consciousness--the first time yours truly thought a lot of kids would have to eat a LOT of fries to supply sufficient quantities of grease to make biodiesel.

Biodiesel usually refers to a diesel-equivalent fuel derived from processing biological sources like vegetable oils, which can be used in unmodified diesel engine vehicles. The key here is UNMODIFIED. One can simply drive up to a biodiesel station and fill 'er up! Because biodiesel is usually derived from biological sources like plants, it has 60 percent less "net lifecycle" CO2 emissions, since plants absorb CO2 in photosynthesis and this volume of CO2 is subtracted from the total CO2 emitted in the processing and burning of the fuel.

Because biodiesel does not inherently contain sulphur, the processing of biological sources into biodiesel does not require any desulphurization processes, thus having a greener process signature and also maintaining the natural lubricity which desulphurization will eliminate.

Biodiesel is not merely a Simpsons fantasy, there is an established network of biodiesel pump stations in Germany, for example. Biodiesel boasts 3 percent market share in the country, making it the top alternative fuel there. Other European countries also feature millions of users, though not to the extent of Germany.

Engine-related benefits

The natural lubricity of biodiesel results in lower engine wear, and this has been verified in labs. Biodiesel is a better solvent than standard diesel as it "cleans" the engine, removing deposits from fuel supply lines. The naturally high cetane/octane levels of biodiesel enable more efficient combustion and ensure cleaner engine combustin chambers and valves.

Efficiency of biodiesel production

When plant material is used to create fuel for vehicles because of the huge consumption and high selling price of fuel biostock, the chief concern is always the issue of sacrificing arable land to create fuel instead of food. Ongoing rapid development in biofuel research has improved yields from biodiesel feedstock, and in the near future, cost reductions in biofuel processing could reach a quantum leap of 6x in terms of yield per acre of land, thus addressing this concern.

Some plants like jatropha, which survive in marginal conditions, could be cultivated in land not suitable for food production anyway. Theoretical research in the US has given promising signs that, with special oil-yielding species of algae, merely 0.3 percent of the land area of the US will yield sufficient quantities of biodiesel to replace all its fuel requirements, and subsequent development could enable this algae to be grown in desertified land.

Biodiesel costs

A biodiesel plant built in 2006 can create a gallon of biodiesel for US$1.04 in 2006 dollars. This may be a higher cost of production than petrol diesel, but the business structure and incentives may allow a lower retail price. Taking into consideration increased efficiencies in biodiesel production and feedstock yield, and current high petrol-diesel costs, the viability of petrol diesel becomes greater and greater. At this time, the premium of biodiesel over petrol diesel has narrowed greatly, a premium where many with a respect for the environment may easily pay.

Biodiesel in the region

Being in a tropical climate, the main issue of gelling under low temperatures does not arise in Singapore and Malaysia, making the fuel extremely attractive. There is at least one biodiesel manufacturing firm in Singapore, Biofuel Research Pte Ltd. But it has yet to make its mark. Global players like Australian firm Natural Fuel, Peter Cremer and Wilmar-Archer are also building refineries in Singapore's petrolchemical hub. It is the excellent infrastructure and connectivity of this petrolchemical hub which make the Republic an excellent choice in Asia for biodiesel production. In addition, the island-state's proximity to biodiesel feedstock-producing nations like Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar, and its excellent seaport facilities optimized for the petrolchemical industry, make it hard to beat by any standards.

Some Singapore companies are also investing in raw material production intended for biodiesel. Singapore firm Plantation Resources has acquired 100,000 acres of land in Myanmar to produce jatropha as a feedstock for biodiesel production. Jatropha is optimal for Myanmar's agricultural environment, survives in barely arable and marginal land, and is among the highest-yielding feedstock available today which converts to biodiesel at the lowest processing cost.

Malaysia and Indonesia are already supplying palm oil as biodiesel feedstock to European processing facilities, but the oil palm grows in arable land and thus sacrifices land suited for food production instead. Indonesia, in particular, has been criticized for allowing forest burning to make way for cash crop plantations, and the forest burning generates copious amounts of CO2 and soot which pollute the entire Southeast Asian region, particularly Malaysia and Singapore. Forest burning makes biodiesel based on palm oil stock more carbon positive than petrol diesel, thus negating one of the main advantages of biodiesel.

Although both the Malaysian and Singaporean tax structures penalize diesel users, high-mileage users like taxicabs, buses and logistics companies already use fleets of diesel vehicles as the fuel-efficiency savings outweigh the penalties.

Thailand already has 400 pumping stations for biodiesel-petrol diesel mixes, and has biodiesel refineries of its own, refining feedstock available locally like palm oil and jatropha.

Why not a diesel hybrid?

The technology for production of a diesel hybrid prototype is with us, but there's the business case to consider. Diesel engines cost more to make compared with gasoline ones, and the addition of a hybrid drivetrain would increase costs beyond the fuel cost savings of hybrid technology. Even then, as fuel costs continue to rise, several companies, notably diesel specialists Peugeot and Mercedes, have committed to making a diesel hybrid commercially available soon.

Cars compatible with biodiesel

In theory, all diesel engines can easily use biodiesel. The issue are parts supporting the diesel engines, like some grades of rubber have issues with biodiesel. And since biodiesel actually cleans up the contamination in the fuel pipes left over by petrol diesel, it is highly recommended to change the fuel filter a few months after converting into biodiesel to get rid of these contaminants.

Even though almost 100 percent of the diesel cars on the road are compatible with biodiesel, official manufacturer support for the use of biodiesel varies. Volkswagen and its subsidiaries Audi, Seat and Skoda are notably the strongest proponents, allowing most of their engines to run on 100 percent biodiesel, whereas other manufacturers vary their permissible mixes from 5 to 30 percent. If the manufacturer's position is not followed strictly, it may void the engine warranty.

As public awareness of the benefits of biodiesel grows, both for environmentalists and auto enthusiasts, more automotive companies may follow VW AG's lead.

More Tips for Your Car