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CLIMATE SOLUTIONS S P E C I A L R E P O R T
BiodieselBiodieselBY Patrick Mazza
Harvesting Clean Energy for Rural Development is a series of reports that detail how clean energyproduction can revitalize rural economies and which advocate for policies to promote this goal. Papers on wind and ethanol, as wellas brief reports on biogas and biodiesel, areavailable at www.climatesolutions.org.
Climate Solutions is a public interest groupthat is seeking to increase use of clean energyand catalyze development of clean energyindustries in the Northwest. This is to fulfillClimate Solutions’ mission, stop global warm-ing at the earliest point possible by helping theNorthwest become a world leader in practicaland profitable solutions that help both peopleand the environment.
Patrick Mazza, Climate Solutions researcher-writer, has written extensively on clean energytechnologies. Papers including Accelerating the
Clean Energy Revolution: How the Northwest
Can Lead and Rising to the Challenge:
Northwest’s Clean Energy Leadership are available at www.climate solutions.org.
PUBLICATION DATE: FEBRUARY 2002
ON INSIDE COVER – Chris Case, Facility Manager and Chief ofMaintenance for Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, with a1982 International 10-ton dump truck fueled by biodiesel. The park has used B20 in its diesel vehicle fleet since July 2000.
Back in 1895 Rudolf Dieseldesigned the engine that bears hisname to run on vegetable oil. Todayfuel based on oil crops and animalfats, known as biodiesel, offers newopportunities for farmers to becomeenergy suppliers. Used in Europe forover 20 years, biodiesel is an envi-ronmentally superior alternative topetrodiesel -- petroleum-based diesel.Now biodiesel is taking off in theU.S, where fleet users grew from ahandful in 1999 to well over 100by 2002, and production accelerat-ed from around 5 million gallonsin 2000 to an estimated 15 millionin 2001.
In Widespread UseFleet Users – Biodiesel’s environ-mental benefits are attracting newfleet users virtually every week.Among them are school bus opera-tors from New Jersey to Washingtonstate; state governments includingOhio, Kansas, Iowa Michigan, NewJersey, North Carolina, Virginia andFlorida; utilities from Florida Power& Light to Pacific Gas & Electric, andfederal agencies including the PostalService and National Parks Service.Most fleets are using B20, a blend of20% biodiesel with regular diesel.Rockland Materials, an Arizona con-crete company, and San Franciscorecyclers Green Team are runningfleets with B100, pure biodiesel.
Northwest Users – Yellowstone,Grand Teton and Mt. RainerNational Parks are using biodiesel intheir fleets. Seattle City Light powers
utility trucks with biodiesel. Garbageis hauled with biodiesel in Tacoma.Hood River County, Oregon runssnowplows on biodiesel. Albertsonsin 2001 began testing a biodieselbased on used fryer oil at twoLewiston, Idaho stores, with a goal ofusing a biodiesel blend to run refrig-erator trucks throughout its fleet. Inboth the Greater Yellowstone andTreasure Valley (Boise) areas, groupsof public and private users are part-nering to make bulk biodiesel pur-chases.
Growing & Making BiodieselThe Recipe – React vegetable oil oranimal fat with alcohol, eithermethanol or ethanol, in the presenceof a catalyst, generally sodium orpotassium hydroxide.
Biodiesel Sources – Vegetable oilsincluding soy, rapeseed, canola andsunflower, make good biodiesel feed-stock, as do animal fats and usedcooking oil from restaurants, knownas yellow grease. Most biodieseltoday derives from soy and yellowgrease. Feedstocks sufficient to sup-ply 3.4% of U.S. diesel now exist, theNational Renewable Energy Lab(NREL) estimates. But from the tinymustard seed, a much larger biodieselsupply could grow. NREL researchersestimate mustard oil could supply theequivalent of 18% of current U.S.diesel consumption, as well as anorganic soil fumigant that could take10% of the U.S. pesticide market. Anext step is to gain U.S. Food andDrug Administration approval for themustard-based pesticide.
Northwest Opportunities –University of Idaho researchers,investigating biodiesel since 1979,have been running a 1999 Dodgediesel pick-up and a 2001Volkswagen diesel beetle on yel-low mustard biodiesel. They haveidentified yellow mustard, canolaand rapeseed as biodiesel feed-stock crops that are particularlywell adapted to the dry, sunnyinterior Northwest. Idaho andMontana are top growing areas forthese oil crops. And mustardrotates with wheat, including dryland varieties. Biodiesel fromthese crops is not currently costcompetitive with petrodiesel, butco-products such as mustard-based pesticide could make iteconomically viable. And mustard-based biodiesel is already cheaperthan the commonly used soy-basedbiodiesel. The Northwest also hasabundant supplies of used cookingoil. Idaho researchers worked withJ.R. Simplot in a successful pilotproject to convert french fry oil intobiodiesel.
Economic Gains – An Iowa studyfound that converting state govern-ment diesels to B20 would cost anadded $500,000 annually, but ifthat spurred creation of a biodieselplant capable of producing 5 mil-lion gallons per year, added tax rev-enues would more than make upthe cost. A University of Missouristudy estimated that a region pro-ducing 100 mgy will add $8.34 million to annual personal income.
BiodieselB Y P a t r i c k M a z z a
1 1CLIMATE SOLUTIONS SPECIAL REPORT
Biodiesel Makers – At least 17companies are making and marketingbiodiesel. Plants are on line inCalifornia, Nevada, Hawaii, Iowa,Illinois, Minnesota, Florida andKentucky. Go Green Industries pro-poses a 17 mgy plant for Richland,Washington.
Homemade Biodiesel – A numberof people make biodiesel on a small-scale basis. For example, EugeneBiosource runs a demonstration VWVanagon on oils from several Eugene,Oregon restaurants. Biodiesel pioneerJohn Tickle has published a how-tohandbook. (See Resources list.)Issues include quality control andhandling of toxic materials, particu-larly methanol. There are diverseopinions on "home-brewing" in thebiodiesel community. The NationalBiodiesel Board does not recommendthat individuals make their ownbiodiesel.
Using BiodieselReady to Use – Biodiesel runs alldiesel engines. B20 requires noengine modifications. Engines madebefore 1993 should have fuel systemrubber seals, gaskets and hosesreplaced before using blends above35%. Biodiesel is a mild solvent thatwill clean petrodiesel crud out of
tanks and engines even at lowerblends, so may call for some fuel fil-ter changes during initial use.
Costs – B20 costs range from 10-30cents per gallon more thanpetrodiesel depending on the volumepurchased. The cost differential isexpected to narrow in coming yearsas the biodiesel industry scales up,technologies improve and petrodieselprices rise to meet clean air mandatesscheduled for mid-decade.
Availability – Biodiesel is commer-cially available in all states and avail-able at the retail pump in nine. Theonly Northwest retail pump is Dr.Dan’s Alternative Fuels Werks inSeattle, which also does on-site bulkdelivery of B100 and B20. LilybladPetroleum of Tacoma will also makearrangements for on-site or deliveredsales in its service area. WorldEnergy makes bulk deliveries virtual-ly anywhere in the U.S. PacificNorthwest Biodiesel makes the fuelat an Aloha, Oregon plant and sellsto a number of local users. (SeeResources.) For a complete list ofbiodiesel fuel suppliers who aremembers of the National BiodieselBoard, visit www.biodiesel.org.
Performance – Pure biodiesel con-tains about 10-12% less energy thanthe equal weight of petrodiesel, but isdenser so in the tank there is only a3-7% reduction in mileage and peakpower. Blends of B20 and belowhave virtually the same fuel economyand power as diesel. Numerousindependent studies show biodieselhas excellent lubricating qualitiesthat reduce wear and tear. Some fleetowners report decreased idle vibra-tion and quieter operation.
Safer to Handle – Petrodieselburns at 125 deg. F. Biodiesel’s flashpoint is around 300 deg. F, making itthe safest fuel to use, handle andstore. It biodegrades four times fasterthan petrodiesel, about the same rateas dextrose. This makes it especiallyattractive for use in boats. With onlyone-tenth the toxicity of table salt,biodiesel is less irritating to skin thana 4% soap and water solution.Mechanics report it does not causethe cracked skin that petrodieseldoes.
Cold Weather Operation –Biodiesel should be treated the sameway as the common No. 2 diesel forwinter use, typically blending it withNo. 1 diesel or using engine heaters.B20 use in temperatures far below 0deg. F should cause no difficulties.B100 may pose some cold weatherproblems. and may require fuel addi-tives or heating of the fueling systemto prevent gelling. Much depends onthe oil source. Rapeseed and canola-based B100 have been used atYellowstone since 1995 without trou-bles. They gel at lower temperaturesthan B100 derived from waste oil.
Restoring Lubrication -- Federalmandates will reduce sulfur inpetrodiesel from 500 parts per millionto 15 in 2005/6. The cleaning
BiodieselA NEW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES
Harvesting Clean Energy
2 CLIMATE SOLUTIONS SPECIAL REPORT
The "Bean Bus" at USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Beltsville, Md., gives tours to visitors and runs on soy-based B20 (20% biodiesel). All diesel-powered vehicles and equipment at ARS-Beltsville use B20.
process will remove lubricating quali-ties that can be restored withbiodiesel. Tests performed byStanadyne Automotive Corp. showthat 1% biodiesel can improve lubric-ity of diesel by up to 65%. A 1%blend in all U.S. diesel would expandannual demand 550 million gallons.
Approved Fuel – Biodiesel is regis-tered as a fuel and fuel additive withthe U.S. Environmental ProtectionAdministration (EPA) and has com-pleted the rigorous health effects test-ing requirements of the Clean Air Act.
B100 is a federally-recognized alter-native fuel, and meets California AirResources Board (CARB) clean dieselstandards. The American Society ofTesting and Materials (ASTM), theU.S fuel standard-setting body, issuedbiodiesel specifications in 2001.Most engine manufacturers have stat-ed that B20 that meets their specifica-tions will not void warranties, andsome have approved B100. Fuelshould conform to the ASTM specifi-cation to ensure good quality.Manufacturers should be contactedfor specific guidelines.
A NEW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES
Harvesting Clean Energy
3 1CLIMATE SOLUTIONS SPECIAL REPORT
Biodiesel
Public SupportFederal – State and federal agenciesare mandated to buy alternative fuelvehicles under a federal law knownas EPAct. They can meet up to halftheir obligation with biodiesel.Buying 450 gallons of B100 to beused in B20 and higher blends willbe credited as one alternative vehiclepurchase. The Congressional BudgetOffice found this the least cost way tomeet EPAct requirements. In addi-tion, proposed federal legislationwould mandate that 5% of U.S. fueluse be from renewable sources by2016.
State – Over a dozen states havepolicies to support biodiesel. (SeeNational Biodiesel Board inResources.) Texas has a biodiesel fueltax exemption. Hawaii taxesbiodiesel at half the rate ofpetrodiesel. Missouri has a frame-work for the state to make up theadded cost for school districts usingbiodiesel.
Northwest – Idaho provides a taxbreak of up to 2.5 cents per gallon onthe first 10% of biodiesel blended intopetrodiesel. In B20 and higher blendsMontana taxes at an 85% rate.Montana provides property taxbreaks that could benefit biodieselplants. Oregon provides energy loansthat could potentially be used bybiodiesel plants.
Environmental BenefitsToxic Particulates – Petrodieseltrucks and buses constitute 6% ofmiles driven but emit 20% of particu-late pollution from particles. Thesetiny toxic-laden particles slip rightpast the lungs into the blood stream.EPA and CARB identify dieselexhaust as a probable cancer causer.Particulates also obscure mountainviews so dear to Northwesterners.Biodiesel cuts particulates by 55%and toxics by up to 90%.
Sulfur Dioxide – Biodiesel effective-ly emits no sulfur dioxide, a pollu-tant that causes acid rain and burnslungs, throats and eyes. Without thesulfurous bite ofpetrodiesel, some say burning biodieselsmells more like popcorn.
Global Warming –B100 is the commer-cially available fuelproviding the greatestglobal warming reduc-tions, reducing global
warming contributor carbon dioxideby 78% over its lifecycle -- Carbonemissions are recaptured in cropsthat feed biodiesel production.
Energy Balance – Biodiesel yields3.24 times the energy it takes tomake it, better than any other liquidfuel. Petrodiesel yields only 0.83times as much.
Ozone – Biodiesel from some feed-stocks might produce slightly moreoxides of nitrogen, an ozone precur-sor, than petrodiesel. But other pol-lution reductions diminish overallozone potential by 50%.
Environmental ImpactAir Toxics
Particulates
Carbon Monoxide
Hydrocarbons
Cancer Risk
Carbon Dioxide
Ozone Potential
B100-60%-90%
-55%
-43%
-56%
-94%
-78%
-50%
B20-12%-20%
-18%
-13%
-11%
-27%
-16%
-10%
Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Administration,U.S. Department of Energy
USDA researcher Robert Dunn studiesbiodiesel winterized for better cold start-ups.
A NEW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR RURAL COMMUNITIESHarvesting Clean Energy
ResourcesGeneral
National Biodiesel Board Your questions on biodiesel answered atwww.biodiesel.org or at [email protected] includes factsheets athttp://www.biodiesel.org/fuelfactsheet.htmand State Biodiesel Initiativeshttp://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/state_initiatives.PDF.
An Overview of Biodiesel andPetroleum Diesel Life CyclesNational Renewable Energy Labhttp://www.ott.doe.gov/biofuels/docs/lifecycle.html
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHOBIODIESEL HOMEPAGEhttp://www.uidaho.edu/bae/biodiesel/
From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank:The Complete Guide to UsingVegetable Oil as an AlternativeFuel, by Joshua Tickell, available fromhttp://www.veggievan.org/book/
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYNORTHWEST REGIONALBIOMASS PROGRAM,Jeff James (206) [email protected]://www.ott.doe.gov/rbep
State Contacts
IDAHOJohn CrockettEnergy Bureau, [email protected]
MONTANAHoward Haines Department of Environmental Quality406-444-6773, [email protected]
OREGONOffice of Energy: John White, 503 [email protected] Mark Kendall, 503-378-6043
WASHINGTONKim Lyons Washington State University Energy Program, 360-956-2083 [email protected]
Using Biodiesel
BIODIESEL HANDLING ANDUSE GUIDELINESK. Shaine TysonNational Renewable Energy Labhttp://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy01osti/30004.pdf
ALTERNATIVE FUELS DATA CENTERhttp://www.afdc.doe.gov/hotline – [email protected]
OFFICE OF TRANSPORTATIONTECHNOLOGIESwww.ott.doe.govincludes EPAct information
CLEAN CITIES COALITIONSpromoting use of alternative fuels andvehicles www.ccities.doe.gov
PUGET SOUND
Linda Graham, [email protected], 206-684-0935http://cityofseattle.net/cleancities/
COLUMBIA WILLAMETTE
Larry Medearis, [email protected]
ROGUE VALLEY
Steve Vincent [email protected] 541-858-4773
Northwest Suppliers
WORLD ENERGY, www.worldenergy.net, Graham Noyes,director Western U.S. 650-712-9688 [email protected] ; Washingtonterminal – Lilyblad Petroleum2244 Port of Tacoma RoadTacoma, WA 94802253-572-4402www.lilyblad.com. (Other NW terminals to be announced.)
DR. DAN’S ALTERNATIVEFUELS WERKS912 NW 50th StSeattle, Washington 98107 206-783-5728www.fuelwerks.com
PACIFIC NORTHWEST BIODIESELAloha, OR, www.pacificnwbiodiesel.comScott Hartford, [email protected]
4 CLIMATE SOLUTIONS SPECIAL REPORT
Cincinnati Metro is one of several transit fleets running city buses on biodiesel.
Biodiesel
ReviewersWe thank our reviewers:
Jenna HigginsNational Biodiesel Board
Howard HainesMontana Department ofEnvironmental Quality
Kim LyonsWashington State UniversityEnergy Program
Photo CreditsCover: Bean BusAgricultural Research Service, USDA
Cincinnati Metro busNational Biodiesel Board
USDA ResearcherAgricultural Research Service, USDA
INSIDE COVER:Pictured Rocks truckNational Biodiesel Board
Page 1 & 2:Bean BusAgricultural Research Service, USDA
Page 3USDA ResearcherAgricultural Research Service, USDA
Page 4: Cincinnati Metro busNational Biodiesel Board
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