Biodiesel: Green Energy Opportunity

Fuels for diesel engines made from sources other than petroleum are known as biodiesel. Among the common sources are vegetable oils, rendered chicken fat and used fry oil. In fact, Rudolf Diesel's demonstration engine ran on peanut oil at the 1900 Paris World Exposition.

When Willie Nelson heads out on tour, he fuels his bus with BioWillie, his own brand of biodiesel--it's Farm Aid in action.

Modern diesel engines can run on 100 percent biodiesel with little degradation in performance compared to petrodiesel because the BTU content of both fuels is similar--120,000 to 130,000 BTU per gallon. In addition, biodiesel burns cleaner than petrodiesel, with reduced emissions. Unlike petrodiesel, biodiesel molecules are oxygen-bearing, and partially support their own combustion.

According to the DOE, pure biodiesel reduces CO emissions by more than 75 percent over petroleum diesel. A blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petrodiesel, sold as B20, reduces CO2 emissions by around 15 percent.

Biodiesel has a viable future as a major fuel for transportation. According to the National Biodiesel Board, production of biodiesel in 2004 was about 25 million gal., quadrupling to more than 10 million gal. in 2010. The trend is solidly upward, thanks to government incentives, the growing number of new diesel vehicles for sale and a grass-roots groundswell of support.

Green Fuel from Waste: BioDiesel

The U.S. biodiesel production is tripling annually, going from 25 million gallons in 2004 to 75 million in gallons in 2005. The final tally for 2006 was near 225 million.

As the Black Oil economy dictates the high and rising price of fuel there is accelerating interest in various forms of Methane and Biodiesel creation, although research work on 'chicken fat' and pig manure fuel has been going on for many years. We are trying to expand the petroleum base, as 5%-20% blending of biodiesel into petroleum-based diesel could significantly reduce dependence on foreign oil.

Regarding environmental issues, chicken-fat fuels are better for the environment and the machines. Biodiesel additives are cleaner and better oxygenated. They burn better, create less particulate matter and actually lubricate and clean things like cylinders, pistons and fuel lines.

In fact, biodiesel additives are biodegradable and non-toxic, do not contribute to greenhouse gases; they also decrease sulfur as well as particulate matter emissions. Apart from providing lubrication for better functioning mechanical parts, they even have detergent properties.

The Green Movers & Shakers

The nation's biggest meat corporations have taken notice. Tyson Foods announced in November it has established a renewable energy division that will be up and running during 2007. Competitors Perdue Farms Inc. and Smithfield Foods Inc. are making similar moves. As meatpackers enter the field, they bring massive amounts of fuel stock that could make biodiesel cheaper and more plentiful.

The shift to animal fat as a fuel stock could be key to making the budding biodiesel industry a reliable fuel source for U.S. trucking fleets, said Vernon Eidman, a professor of economics at the University of Minnesota who has extensively studied the biofuels industry. Eidman estimates that within five years, the U.S. will produce 1 billion gallons of biodiesel, and half of it will be made from animal fat. By that time soybean-based biodiesel will account for about 20 percent of the total, he said.

For fuel refiners, the allure of animal fat is clear. Soybean oil costs 33 cents a pound while chicken fat costs 19 cents. Soybean oil is in the blend because it adds necessary lubrication for engine parts.

For companies like Tyson, the attraction is simple. Being the nation's biggest meat company, Tyson is also the biggest producer of leftover fat from chicken, cattle and hogs. Tyson is keeping the specifics of its renewable fuels division under tight wraps. But Tyson Vice President Jeff Webster told a recent investment conference the potential is clear. Tyson produces about 2.3 billion pounds of chicken fat annually from its poultry plants. That's about 300 million gallons that could be converted to fuel.