Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy Economy

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All books in the category Alternative Fuels

by: Greg Pahl

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Has world oil output peaked? Recent price spikes and dwindling reserves have spurred fears that we are fast approaching the critical tipping point that will trigger severe global economic depression, political instability, and human suffering.
Today 95 percent of global oil is consumed for transportation, and other alternatives are distant possibilities at best. We need a solution now, one that will pave the way to a saner, more sustainable energy future without massive reinvestments in infrastructure and technology transfer. We need biodiesel.
A crop-derived liquid fuel, biodiesel can be made from a wide range of renewable, locally grown plant sources--even from recycled cooking oils or animal fats. The technology is simple and available today, and the benefits of biodiesel are enormous, as both a cleaner-burning vehicle fuel and a source for residential or commercial heating.
Greg Pahl?s essential new book explores the history and technology of biodiesel, its current use around the world, and its exciting potential in the United States and beyond. While biodiesel is not the answer to all our energy problems, it is an important step in the long overdue process of weaning ourselves from fossil fuels.

About the Author
Greg Pahl has been involved with renewable energy issues for more than 20 years. He is a founding member and codirector of the Vermont Biofuels Association. He is the author of Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options (Chelsea Green, 2003), and has written about wind power, solar energy, electric cars, sustainable forestry management, and biodiesel home heating.

Great Book on an Intrguing Topic: Below is my favourable take on Greg Pahl's "Biodiesel":

Diesel-powered vehicles and equipment are everywhere, and are likely to continue to exist for years, if not for generations to come. Buses, trains, trucks, generators, and a growing number of automobiles use diesel fuel. Diesel engines tend to be more fuel-efficient, and last longer, than their gasoline-powered counterparts. Diesel engines get better torque than do gasoline engines, and devote more of their energy to propulsion (what we want), and less to wasted heat (what we don't want). In summary, diesel engines have a lot going for them.

However, the challenge is that diesel, along with its cousin, gasoline, are fossil fuels, whose supplies are, by most reasonable estimates, finite and declining at rates greater than many of us feel comfortable to acknowledge. Diesel fuel, when burned by an inefficient engine, generates a lot of pollution, both real (e.g. particulate matter) and perceived (i.e. billowing clouds of smoke). Diesel has a bad reputation in some circles, and often this is deserved.

Enter biodiesel, a renewable alternative to traditional "petrodiesel". Developed over the past several decades from various plant and animal "feedstocks", biodiesel is a relatively clean-burning fuel that can either supplement or, in some cases, replace the non-renewable petrodiesel. For example, B20 biodiesel, which I use in my 2004 VW Golf, consists of 20% biodiesel and 80% traditional petrodiesel. Overall engine performance is as good as, if not better than, what would be experienced using pure petrodiesel. The greater lubricity of biodiesel prolongs the life of engines that use it; this attribute will grow in importance as diesel suppliers are encouraged or forced to reduce the sulphur content of the fuel... the lower the sulphur, the lower the lubricity.

Other big motivations for using biodiesel are that, as a locally-sourced form of energy, it reduces our reliance on oil from other countries; additionally, there is its tendency to emit fewer toxic substances than an equal volume of petrodiesel. Local farmers, supplying the soybeans or switchgrass that constitute the biodiesel feedstock to nearby refiners, stand to benefit financially. Even used vegetable frying oil from restaurants can be salvaged and, with minimal processing, converted to cleanly burning biodiesel.

Greg Pahl makes the technology of biodiesel production accessible to the layperson; those of us who struggled through high school chemistry can grasp the concepts that Pahl presents so clearly. In a nutshell, many plants that are the beneficiaries of photosynthesis, such as soybeans and canola, hold in their cells energy from the sun, in a similar way that oil in the tar sands holds energy from the sun in the form of plant and animal matter that lived millions of years ago, and has been compressed and preserved.

The future of biodiesel depends on a few factors: education of customers, and governments that offer subsidies to suppliers of "green" energy sources; a steady supply of biodiesel feedstocks, such as soybean oil, canola oil, used vegetable fryer oil, and even animal fat from meat renders; a corresponding steady price for such feedstocks, so that biodiesel production capacity planning can be done with lower risk; a relatively attractive price for biodiesel vis- -vis petrodiesel prices; cooperation between the large and small biodiesel suppliers; and collaboration between biodiesel suppliers of all shapes and sizes with the traditional petrodiesel vertical infrastructure (from the extraction of raw crude oil, all the way to the retail pumps in your neighbourhood).

Unlike hydrogen technology, biodiesel is a relatively clean, renewable energy source that is in successful, widespread use today: entire school bus fleets in the US run on pure biodiesel, with positive performance results and, happily, lower engine maintenance costs. Politically, it is often a no-brainer for state and local governments to embrace biodiesel use, as it puts money in the pockets of local farmers, and the fuel can be used with no need to convert existing diesel-consuming equipment. However, the traditional petrodiesel industry may well balk at moves to support biodiesel proliferation, since this would dilute, figuratively and literally, the concentration of petrodiesel that its customers necessarily need to buy.

I highly recommend Pahl's book. It provides a balanced view of the benefits and challenges that face biodiesel producers and users. Having said this, Pahl is a cheerleader for biodiesel, and justifiably so. It's hard not to share his enthusiasm.

Good Summary of the BioDiesel Situation: This book really has two messages. One is that biodiesel, that is diesel produced all or in part from vegtable oils is a practical fuel, or at least an extension to fuel. The other part is an evangelical sermon saying that the Government should support biofuels better. I agree with him on the first point. He says that bio fuels will never completely replace petro fuels. And in spite of the claims of some of the true believers, the US is not going to be able to produce enough fuel for it to continue using as much energy as it does now. On his second point of getting the Government to solve the problem, I don't think so. My experience is that the Government tends to screw up more than it fixes. Our Government responds to what they think the people want. And a poll published just the other day says that 73% of the people believe that the reason for high gasoline prices is price goughing by the big oil companies. The people completely ignore the fact that China and India have increased their imports by 30%. Today I read two things in the morning paper that give me hope for bio fuels. One was that the price of oil on the world market hit a new high. The second was that there are huge sales on SUV's particularily the bigger ones. I don't see the news shows putting these two points together, but that's another matter. Oil is going to continue to go up, not always, but the trend line is up. When people go to the gas station and petro fuel is $5 a gallon and bio-augmented fuels, either biodiesel or gasohol is $4.75 a gallon the problem will be solved.

Reviews:

Not likely to become a long-term fuel.:
America uses 65 billion gallons of non-gasoline fuel a year. The issue is volume. The US is the number one exporter of soybeans in the world. Soybean is a reasonable raw material source for biodiesel, at about 200 gallons yield per acre. The best source is Algae. Algae yield are over 2000 gallons of biodiesel per acre. Farmers don't want Algae based biodiesel, they want soybean, corn, or animal fat. At best soybean, corn, and animal fat will provide 20% of the 65 billion gallons and require converting all agricultural fallow land into production. B20 makes sense in a non-energy crisis. B20 is 20% biodiesel and 80% diesel. B20 is very popular. America's like big trucks and these big trucks use diesel engines to power them. Turbo Direct Injection is a key technology. TDI provides more power and a quieter biodiesel burning engine. TDI make diesel vehicles more attractive, but with diesel fuel exceeding $3 a gallon, consumers are looking for equivalent fuels that can be purchased at a lower price. Biodiesel looks good, for now. Will oil become cheap? Yes. The fact that trillions of gallons of shale and tar oil remain to be extracted leads to the inevitable conclusion, yes. Why is biodiesel growth accelerating in the US? Three reasons: 1. weakness in refinery capability 2. fuel traders betting that there will be future shortages, so they buy contracts to increase reserves causing temporary shortages and increased fuel price. 3. Environmental and political delays that slow down the extraction of shell and tar oil. Advocates of biodiesel like the fuel because of lower emissions (no sulfer, lower Nitride Oxide, and less complex hydrocarbon chains), economic benefits for agricultural corporations and special interest groups, and lubricating affect of engine parts. Customers appreciate a lower purchasing cost than diesel. Producers appreciate government subsidies, tax breaks, product incentives that allow the producer to sale an more expensive product for a lower price. Political support for biodiesel has brought attention and financial backing too bring the product too market. The fast growth profile associated with biodiesel will stretch debt limits. The banking system will need to be able to provide the stability for biodiesel to get established and accepted in the market. This will probably mean additional government assurances and financial reinforcement to give the appearance of confidence in this sector. Energy is a cyclic investment with strong peaks that gain interest but followed by long periods of disinterest. The energy sector is associated with heavy liabilities that eventually move investment close to the mean. As energy valuations move closer too the mean, biodiesel will experience more pressure to become competitive against oil. A handful of large Oil companies with their vast reserves of cash may/may not decide to keep alternate fuels alive. Oil companies will experience pressure from their shareholders either invest the cash reserves into infrastructure and alternate fuels or dividend payments. Oil companies can use Biodiesel as an environment friendlier fuel, as a marketing promotion. However, Biodiesel can not provide Zero emissions. Zero emissions are only possible through electric or fuel cell cars. Oil companies will probably line up with Hydrogen production technology, fuel cells, nano carbon fiber hydrid storage systems, and battery technology. It would be interesting if biodiesel could be converted into hydrogen. If this connection were possible than biodiesel survival becomes more likely. If we are reliving the late 70s then biodiesel will flourish until oil becomes cheap. What is the purpose of the zero emmissions initiative? Why will the consumer support a zero emisssion vehicle? Is zero emissions cost effective? What automative companies will jump over hybrids and move to zero emission technology? What happens when the consumer can purchase an electric car for 40k and furthermore, this vehicle cost 1 cent per mile to operate? Telsa's 70 pound engine. Hybrids have been very affective in large trucks, trains, and generators. Hybrids will rely on biodiesel to operate. Trains could migrate towards pure electric. Large trucks would remain the target long term.

Greg's book is a fine introduction to the concept of diesel biofuels and deserves its fivestar rating. He obviously believes that the advantages of cleaner emissions and potential for OPEC import reductions outweigh biodiesel's disadvantages. But you don't have to take his word for it. Truckers are already flocking to biodiesel for its clean burn, longer engine component life, and greater fuel economy - and those guys don't waste money on impractical solutions! I wouldn't pay too much attention to unemployed agronomists in Brazil or otherwise, with agendas against biodiesel as book critics. Biodiesel, for the uneducated, can come from a variety of plant and animal sources, not just waste oil production, which makes it very versatile. Ethanol is a great biofuel, but its advantages are oversold as a cure-all. It won't solve our energy problems in the US by itself by a long shot, and biodiesel fuels are also needed. Brazil still has to import petrodiesel to run its trucking industry, here in the U.S. we have a 'few' large trucks that wouldn't work too well on E85!

Biodiesel isn't a solution for energy.,
Beeing unemployed, I'm an agronomist here in Brazil.Then I know very much about energy and fuel from crops.Compared to ethanol, the same area produces 7 times more fuel then to biodiesel.If you read in portuguese, you can read my own article about biodisel in site http://www.israel3.com/article341.html . Biodiesel insn't a real source of energy.It's a way to transform waste(oil burned) into fuel.It will never be a great source of fuel in America, and in any other place in the world. Biogas, ethanol and hidrogenation of crops are the real possiblities of fuel from agricultural sources.