Myths And Facts About Biodiesel  

Biofuels are produced from biomass, which is a material derived from recently living organisms like plants, animals and their by-products. Unlike other natural resources such as petroleum, coal and nuclear energy, biofuels are produced from renewable energy sources based on the carbon cycle. This means that the plants harness carbon from the air (e.g. CO2) and then it is transformed into energy sources, like biodiesel.

The two main biofuels developed and used commercially are ethanol and biodiesel.

There are basically three main drivers for the development of biofuels:

• The increasing price of fossil fuels
• The search for a renewable sources of energy
• Increasing pollution levels due to the use of petroleum derived products

There are many myths and facts concerning biodiesel and we have chosen to address the most frequent ones...

1. Myth:  There is no difference between ethanol and biodiesel.

Fact:  These are both biofuels, but, totally different. Biodiesel is the result of transesterification (basically taking out of glycerin) of a vegetable oil or animal fat and can be used in any diesel motor.

Ethanol is the most common biofuel worldwide. It is produced by fermentation of sugars derived mainly from sugarcane and corn. Engine modifications are needed in the case of gasoline motors, to be able to use more than 15% of ethanol in the blend (E15). However, flex-fuel cars are being produced that can use pure gasoline, pure ethanol or any blend of both. In Brazil, 90% of new cars are flex-fuel.

2. Myth:  Pure vegetable oil can be used in diesel engines.
 
Fact: Pure vegetable oils are processed beforehand and produce approximately 90% biodiesel and 10% glycerin. It is important the glycerin be separated, as glycerin would glue on to the motor parts, eventually affecting the engine.

3. Myth: The use of oilseeds to produce biodiesel will increase the price of food.

Fact:  Whenever a product, that is being used for food, is used for energy, it means there will be less food available and the price will go up. A good example is soybeans, which are crushed to mainly produce oil and soymeal, for animal feed. In the case of soybeans for energy, with the increase in demand, the price of soybeans increases and consequently so does the price of animal feed. Therefore there is an increase in the cost of producing meat, milk, eggs, etc.  A similar situation happens with corn, used for ethanol; the result is an increase in the price corn products.  The challenge now is to use the most efficient source possible to make biodiesel, so the impact on the price of food is mitigated.

4. Myth: After using  biodiesel, it is impossible to go back to using petrodiesel.

Fact: Biodiesel and petrodiesel can be interchanged with no problems, in diesel motors. It is important to note that that this is not the case in gasoline engines; these cannot be used with more than 15% ethanol unless the engines have been adapted.

5. Myth: The use of biodiesel requires some engine conversion.

Fact: There is no engine conversion required, except for the replacement of some types of rubber fuel lines in the case of vehicles produced pre-1990.

6. Myth: Biodiesel will ruin my engine

Fact:  Actually, your engine will run smoother and cleaner on biodiesel than petrodiesel.

7. Myth:  Biodiesel is an experimental fuel that hasn’t been thoroughly tested.

Fact: In countries that have used biodiesel for some time, like Europe and the US, pure biodiesel and biodiesel blends with petrodiesel have been thoroughly tested and are available at various gas stations. In Brazil, the policy is to include 2% of biodiesel in the petrodiesel in 2008 and then go increasing the percentage in the mixture. However, pure biodiesel or stronger mixtures are not available at the pumps in most parts of the world. The adoption of biodiesel worldwide is relatively new, especially when compared with ethanol, which was available in Brazil in the stations in the late 70s. Presently, all the stations have hydrated ethanol (7%water) and all the gasoline has approximately 25% of pure ethanol at the pumps. As from 2008, all diesel pumps will have 2% biodiesel.

8. Myth: Biodiesel performs just as well as petrodiesel.

Fact: It seems to have been proven that biodiesel looses around 1% in power compared to petrodiesel, almost negligible. In the case of ethanol, it looses 30% in power compared to gasoline.
 
9. Myth: Biodiesel is not affected by low temperatures.

Fact:  It freezes just before petrodiesel and in very cold areas it is recommendable to mix both.

10. Myth:  Biodiesel costs too much.

Fact:  In the US, it is slightly more expensive than petrodiesel, or at best, very similar. In Brazil, biodiesel is considered viable when the price of petroleum surpasses 65 US$/barrel. In the case of ethanol, it is economically viable with the price of petroleum over 33 US$/barrel.

11. Myth: There can be no shortages of the product

Fact: The production of Biodiesel requires careful planning. We must remember that biodiesel comes from crops so it has to be planted before being produced. A normal cycle takes about 6 months and coordinating the availability of the soil, buying inputs, etc. another 6 months. In the case of petrodiesel, it is easily available by increasing production.
 
12. Myth: Biodiesel pollutes just as much as petrodiesel

Fact: In the use of biodiesel, there is a very considerable reduction of carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) and carbon monoxide (poisonous gas). There is zero emission of sulfur dioxide (acid rain).