Biodiesel is a biodegradable and non-toxic renewable fuel for diesel engines derived from natural oils like vegetable oil and soybean oil.
It has similar properties to petroleum diesel; however it is not a fossil fuel, but is instead produced from organic matter that has lived recently. It can be mixed with ordinary diesel in existing diesel engines with little or no modification.
Since the burning of biodiesel to produce power creates the same amount of carbon dioxide as was extracted from the atmosphere during the plant’s lifetime it is commonly referred to as carbon neutral. This is a slightly generous description however, as the processes involved in the production of biodiesel (e.g. harvesting, solvent extraction, transportation) result in the release of greenhouse gases.
The use of biodiesel in the UK is on the increase and several forecourts now stock it. Although the fuel is generally more expensive than petroleum diesel this is likely to change over time due to economies of scale, Government subsidies and the rising cost of fossil-fuels.
Despite this, there is growing opposition to a move towards widespread use of biodiesel because to produce large amounts of the fuel will require devoting huge amounts of agricultural land to the purpose; land which would otherwise be used to grow food. Many fear that we could end up feeding our cars at the expense of the world's poor, pushing hundreds of millions of people into starvation. Duelled with this problem is the fact that the most cost-effective source of biodiesel is palm oil and, as a result, huge swathes of tropical rainforest are being cleared in south-east Asia to make way for palm plantations.
Contact us on 01580 830334 or email info@footprint-es.com to find out more on biodiesel.
