world of Biodiesel & vegetable oil Blog

Bio UK Fuels Ltd

Adrian Eyre — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:35:00 +0000

Bio UK Fuels Ltd: "Bio UK Fuels turns waste into energy, providing second generation biodiesel to domestic and business users. Consumers can turn up and fill up, and we provide biodiesel to other distributors for resell.

Bio UK Fuels takes used cooking oil from local sources turning it into high quality biodiesel, providing the same performance as traditional diesel and usable with almost every diesel engine.

Diesel engines can run on biodiesel, regular diesel or any mix of the two. We recommend an initial 50/50 mix of fuels.

Using Vegetable oil as a diesel fuel

Adrian Eyre — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:32:00 +0000

Using Vegetable oil as a diesel fuel: "Sundance scoop Innovation Award at the Cylch Wales Recycling Awards. “Many congratulations to Sundance Renewables for their ‘Innovation Award’ for setting up the first community based biodiesel project in the UK. Reducing carbon emissions from transport is a huge challenge that must be addressed in our battle against climate change – not only do Sundance recycle waste cooking oil from local businesses but they produce a fuel that can help save our environment. It is great to see such a dedicated co-operative enterprise receive this much deserved recognition. (Goat Industries built the biodiesel plant for this company)"

Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage

Adrian Eyre — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:30:00 +0000

Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage: "A team of North American scientists has discovered a way of replicating the DNA code of a bacterium that could eventually allow the creation of bacteria to manufacture biofuels. Reporting in 'Science' magazine, a 17-strong group of scientists from the J Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, has constructed a bacterium's genome by chemically synthesising blocks of DNA. These are knitted together to create larger pieces of DNA that can be formed to make a synthetic version of Mycoplasma genitalium. Dr Craig Venter believes that specially-made micro-organisms can be created to produce hydrogen, while another strain could absorb excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."

GM greens up with bio-ethanol initiative (+video) - 15 Jan 2008 - Oil & gas news - NZ Herald

Adrian Eyre — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:26:00 +0000

GM greens up with bio-ethanol initiative (+video) - 15 Jan 2008 - Oil & gas news - NZ Herald: "General Motors has announced a deal with a US ethanol research company that it believes could halve the price of a gallon of petrol, and reduce the CO2 emissions of the fuel by up to 84 per cent.

Coskata, a biology-based renewable energy company, has developed a means of producing ethanol from wood waste, household rubbish and old tyres by using bacteria and an existing gasification technology in a process that yields 99.7 per cent pure ethanol, plus water.

GM and Coskata claim that this method of ethanol production is far superior to using grain in terms of CO2 reduction, and an improvement on using ethanol produced using cellulosic plant-fibre ethanol (which is more CO2 efficient than grain) too."

Amazon.co.uk: Handbook on Bioethanol: Production and Utilization (Applied Energy Technology): Books: Charles E. Wyman

Adrian Eyre — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 19:00:00 +0000

Amazon.co.uk: Handbook on Bioethanol: Production and Utilization (Applied Energy Technology): Books: Charles E. Wyman: "Ethanol is a fuel with characteristics that allows high efficiency in optimized engines and reduced ozone and smog formation. This volume addresses the key aspects of ethanol production from inexpensive and abundant sources: municipal waste, waste paper, grass and wood crops."

E85 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Adrian Eyre — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 18:54:00 +0000

E85 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "
E85 is an alcohol fuel mixture that typically contains a mixture of up to 85% denatured fuel ethanol and gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume. On an undenatured basis, the ethanol component ranges from 70% to 83%. E85 as a fuel is widely used in Sweden and is becoming increasingly common in the United States, mainly in the Midwest where corn is a major crop and is the primary source material for ethanol fuel production; however as yet, there are still only about 800 filling stations selling E85 to the public in the US, and only one in Canada[1], [2]."

What Is Bioethanol

Adrian Eyre — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 17:09:00 +0000

What Is Bioethanol: "

The principle fuel used as a petrol substitute for road transport vehicles is bioethanol. Bioethanol fuel is mainly produced by the sugar fermentation process, although it can also be manufactured by the chemical process of reacting ethylene with steam.

The main sources of sugar required to produce ethanol come from fuel or energy crops. These crops are grown specifically for energy use and include corn, maize and wheat crops, waste straw, willow and popular trees, sawdust, reed canary grass, cord grasses, jerusalem artichoke, myscanthus and sorghum plants. There is also ongoing research and development into the use of municipal solid wastes to produce ethanol fuel.

Ethanol or ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) is a clear colourless liquid, it is biodegradable, low in toxicity and causes little environmental pollution if spilt. Ethanol burns to produce carbon dioxide and water. Ethanol is a high octane fuel and has replaced lead as an octane enhancer in petrol. By blending ethanol with gasoline we can also oxygenate the fuel mixture so it burns more completely and reduces polluting emissions. Ethanol fuel blends are widely sold in the United States. The most common blend is 10% ethanol and 90% petrol (E10). Vehicle engines require no modifications to run on E10 and vehicle warranties are unaffected also. Only flexible fuel vehicles can run on up to 85% ethanol and 15% petrol blends (E85).

Biodiesel Magazine

Adrian Eyre — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 17:01:00 +0000

Biodiesel Magazine: "ABS Biodiesel was given the go-ahead by the Bristol City planning department to build a biodiesel plant in southwest England, close to major oil terminals and refineries. The company will be investing over £21 million (US$43 million) in the new 24,500-square-foot facility, which will cover three acres of undeveloped land at Bristol Port. The company said the facility will be the U.K.’s largest biodiesel plant with a capacity of 225,000 tons (67 million gallons) per year and the capability of doubling that in the future. The first and second years of capacity are already sold. Construction is slated to begin before the end of the year."

World's First Carbon-Neutral Biodiesel Plant Coming to Idaho (TreeHugger)

Adrian Eyre — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 23:59:00 +0000

World's First Carbon-Neutral Biodiesel Plant Coming to Idaho (TreeHugger): "

Green Star Products, Inc. (GSPI) will build the first biodiesel plant to emit almost zero net greenhouse gases from direct plant production of biodiesel. We've been following the rise of biodiesel as an alternative to fossil fuels and gasoline (from the geography of the fuel to the celebs who use it to its addition to the dictionary), so we know that most production plants require heating input, usually from natural gas, require electricity from local utilities, which emit CO(2), and that the chemical processes uses 10% methanol (wood alcohol) made from natural gas, all of which contribute to our warming planet. GSPI has considered all of these factors in the design of their new plant; Joseph P. LaStella, P.E., President of GSPI, explains:

"First, our proprietary continuous flow waterless process requires less than one-third the electrical energy to operate versus existing batch plants. Therefore, we have decided to furnish our own electric generators, which will run on our own biodiesel. The existing electrical utility connections will only serve as an emergency backup service.

Green fuel lurks in pond scum - 27 Oct 2007 - Climate change news - NZ Herald

Adrian Eyre — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 23:09:00 +0000

Green fuel lurks in pond scum - 27 Oct 2007 - Climate change news - NZ Herald: "

A plant scientist from West Texas believes one of the oldest, simplest life forms could help to ease some of today's toughest energy and environment problems.

Algae converts carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas blamed for global warming, into a vegetable oil that Glen Kertz, a plant cell expert who used to work for oil companies, hopes can be economically turned into biodiesel.

Algae doesn't need prime farmland, vast quantities of fertiliser, or large harvest vehicles, unlike corn which is the main United States feedstock for ethanol, the top alternative motor fuel.

The single-celled organisms, which are among the world's fastest growing plants, can prosper in small bags of water under the light of greenhouses.

"The more light I have, the more energy that I can capture and put back into the transportation system," Kertz, CEO of private company Valcent Products, said.

Better Biodiesel to Be Featured on The History Channel's BONEYARD Series: September 20th at 9:00 p.m. EDT/8:00 p.m. CDT:

Adrian Eyre — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:47:00 +0000

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Better Biodiesel, Inc. (OTCBB:BBDS - News) (“Better Biodiesel”), a producer of biodiesel fuel employing proprietary production technology, announced today that Chairman and CEO Ron Crafts will appear on The History Channel’s BONEYARD series' feature on “Bio Waste.” The program airs this Thursday, September 20^th at 9:00 p.m. EDT/8:00 p.m. CDT on The History Channel.

The program demonstrates the daily processing journey of millions of gallons of municipal sewage. This compounding sewage is a biowaste, which fortunately can be transformed from a hazardous, environmental nuisance into a lucrative asset. Observe as agricultural wastes are reharvested for biofuels and as animal and vegetable fats are refined into biodiesel oil for cars, trucks and diesel machinery.

Better Biodiesel is proud to be featured on The History Channel as it recognizes the expanding opportunity and global market for converting excess biowaste into a lucrative, environmentally sustainable product.

The video in its entirety will soon be available for viewing at www.betterbiodiesel.com.

About The History Channel: BONEYARD

BONEYARD follows the dismantling of our largest structures and the discovery of their unusual after-life. From B-52 bombers to massive oil tankers, passenger cars to cold war-era cruise missiles, everything we manufacture has a lifespan. Reaching the end of their useful life is just the beginning of a fascinating visual journey.

For further information, go directly to the BONEYARD section in the Natural History Channel website. (See: http://www.history.com/minisites/boneyard/)

Better Biodiesel to Be Featured on The History Channel's BONEYARD Series: September 20th at 9:00 p.m. EDT/8:00 p.m. CDT:

Palm biodiesel plant to begin ops in Oct

Adrian Eyre — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 01:06:00 +0000

Palm biodiesel plant to begin ops in Oct: "KUALA LUMPUR: Kumpulan Fima Bhd (KFima) expects its maiden palm biodiesel plant in North Port, Port Klang to commence production by end-October. Group managing director Ahmad Riza Basir said the group would initially stagger the production of palm biodiesel, given the significantly high feedstock cost, especially with crude palm oil (CPO) trading at RM2,400 per tonne currently. The plant has a capacity to produce 60,000 tonnes of biodiesel and 30,000 tonnes of winter fuel per year. KFima is one of three local companies which have joint ventures with Malaysian Oil Palm (MPOB) to set up biodiesel plants in Malaysia using the latter's technology. 'We invested RM23mil for the plant while MPOB is financing about RM24mil. The actual plant cost can reach RM80mil but we have existing infrastructure like storage tanks and pipelines to facilitate the project,' Riza told reporters after the company's AGM on Tuesday. He said KFima was in the midst of sourcing alternative feedstock - palm kernel oil - for the production of palm kernel methyl ester to cater for the growing oleochemicals industry in Malaysia and overseas. Ads by Google"

Lawrenceville figures to save money with biodiesel | ajc.com

Adrian Eyre — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:01:00 +0000

Lawrenceville figures to save money with biodiesel | ajc.com: "Lamar Hall didn't think biodiesel would do much except slow down the garbage trucks in Lawrenceville. The city's fleet superintendent went along for the ride, though, with a two-week test last month of biodiesel, a fuel made of renewable resources, such as vegetable oil. ABOUT BIODIESEL Q: What is biodiesel? A: It's an alternative fuel made from a renewable resource, such as corn, peanuts, soybeans or vegetable oil. Q: How does it work? A: Garbage trucks run on a blend consisting of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent diesel. Q: What's the advantage? A: The city of Lawrenceville says that using biodiesel in its garbage trucks costs less and increased fuel efficiency."

Drivers said their engines had more power. The trucks ran cleaner, Hall said, and came back to the shop with more fuel in the tank.

"I was expecting the economy to go down and the trucks to be more sluggish," Hall said. But now, "I figure it's about 10 percent more efficient with biodiesel."

Now Lawrenceville's garbage trucks will use a biodiesel mix, a decision that Hall figures will save the city about $12,000 a year in lower fuel costs, increased fuel efficiency and lower maintenance costs.

Biodiesel is catching on elsewhere, too.

"We're seeing this quite a bit in school systems," said Jill Stuckey, director of alternative fuels at the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority.

motoring.co.za - Bio-diesel bike sets World speed record

Adrian Eyre — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 23:53:00 +0000

motoring.co.za - Bio-diesel bike sets World speed record: "BIO-DIESEL RECORD-BREAKER: This one-off bike with a BMW diesel engine clocked 210km/h in speed trials on the Bonneville salt flats in Utah in the US and its builders are hoping for 265km/h next time out. Bio-diesel bike sets World speed record September 16, 2007 A specially built bio-diesel bike has set a world speed record for diesel motorcycles at the 2007 Bonneville Salt Flats speed trials in Utah with a two–way average speed of 210.203km/h. The bike started life as a BMW R1150 RT but was fitted with a two-litre turbodiesel engine from a BMW 3 Series car and ran on Greenline Industries' B100 biodiesel. It was designed and built at 'The Crucible', an industrial art school in Oakland, California, and ridden by founder Michael Sturtz."

Rix Bio Diesel

Adrian Eyre — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:38:00 +0000

Rix Bio Diesel: "Local Biodiesel distributor, Rix Biodiesel, are today celebrating a major contract to supply the fuel to Wincanton Logistics. The company, who deliver logistics solutions, have decided to trial the fuel in conjunction with one of their main companies, Air Products.

Air Products will be using Rix Biodiesel across its Hull based ERF fleet, which is fully equipped to monitor all aspects of fuel use from emissions to miles per gallon. With the focus on alternative fuels increasing the new contract will help Rix to further grow its biodiesel business whilst also helping companies such as Air Products reduce their emissions.

Duncan Lambert, Marketing Manager for Rix Biodiesel said:

'We are delighted that Wincanton and Air Products are using our Bioblend 5. With growing demand for fuel around the world the interest in alternative fuels such as biodiesel is at an all time high. Not only is our product renewable but it also offers reduced emissions and is much better for the environment. It is our belief that Biodiesel is the fuel of the future and we are planning to convince more organisations that using biodiesel is good for all areas of their business.'"

Rix Bio Diesel || A Greener Future

Adrian Eyre — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:35:00 +0000

Rix Bio Diesel || A Greener Future: "Bio diesel is the only ‘drop in fuel’ replacement for existing fuel types. In a mineral blend bio diesel does not require any modifications to be made to the vehicle and in a 95% mineral diesel, 5% biodiesel blend actually improves fuel efficiency. Using vegetable and animal oils, either pure or used, means that not only is the main raw material renewable, it also contributes to environmental issues by using up residual oils whilst the new crops absorb CO2 gases created whilst burning the fuel in a diesel engine. By adding bio diesel to mineral oil supplies we will be able to extend the existing fossil fuel reserves.

This will be of particular importance to the UK as the country is set to
become a net importer of oil within the next 7 years."

New biodiesel station opens in Santa Cruz : Indybay

Adrian Eyre — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 20:28:00 +0000

New biodiesel station opens in Santa Cruz : Indybay: " A new biodiesel station will have a grand opening in Santa Cruz on Saturday, April 21 from 12 noon to 6 p.m. at the corner of Soquel Avenue and Ocean Street.

Pacific BioFuels had a grand opening of their new biodiesel fuel station on the cormer of Ocean Street and Soquel Avenue on April 21. All Santa Cruzans and visitors to our city can now use the more sustaiinable fuel, biodiesel.

The opening features live music by Keith Greninger, Horizon, Steve Robertson and Yuji.
Ray Newkirk, of Pacific BioFuels, said the station will also sell organic food, coffee and electric bicycles.

The city of Santa Cruz has goals of reducing CO2 emissions. What better way than refueling with a renewable fuel from U.S. farmers. FOSL urges all diesel car owners to patronize the only striclty biofuel station this side of Berkeley.

The station also supports the Santa Cruz Green Building program by using recycled fuel tanks, fuel dispensers and even the fencing surrounding the tanks is mostly recycled lumber and locally grown bamboo.

To find out more about Pacific BioFuels, contact Ray Newkirk, ray [at] pacfuel.com. Also for more information about price quotes, orders and deliveries, call Pacific BioFuel at 831-457-1328 or email them at: info [at] pacfuel.com"

Sunday Gazette-Mail - News

Adrian Eyre — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 20:25:00 +0000

Sunday Gazette-Mail - News: "Just replacing fossil fuels with alternatives won’t save the environment, said Sally Shepherd, president of WVBioFuels/Renewables Co-op.

“We have to conserve, and biodiesel is just one of the aspects of that,” she said.

On Saturday at West Virginia State University, Shepherd and WVBioFuels held a public demonstration and meeting about alternative fuel and power sources, including biodiesel and solar power, as part of the National Day of Climate Action.
- advertisement -

Inside a small shed at West Virginia State University’s Bioplex Project site is a small biodiesel manufacturing setup, opened by the co-op in October.

The 110-gallon reactor takes used cooking oil collected from area restaurants and institutions and turns it into biodiesel, which is used by co-op members to run diesel engines.

Lou Kapicak of the Mid-Atlantic Technology Research and Innovation Center, or MATRIC, has been helping the co-op with the production of the fuel.

In the reactor, used cooking oil is infused with methanol, the pumps are turned on and the oil separates, leaving biodiesel on the top and glycerin on the bottom, Kapicak said."

Market Potential of Biodiesel - The Manufacturer.com - Promoting best practice in Manufacturing

Adrian Eyre — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:19:00 +0000

Market Potential of Biodiesel - The Manufacturer.com - Promoting best practice in Manufacturing: "Phoenix, AZ - March XX, 2007 - Energy Business Reports,the energy industry think tank and research center, writers that ethanol and biodiesel are the most widely recognized biofuel sources for transport sector. Commercial production of biodiesel in the United States began in the 1990s.

The National Biodiesel Board reported production of 500,000 gallons in 1999 and 6.7 million gallons in 2005. The most common sources of oil for biodiesel production in the United States are soybean oil and yellow grease (mostly recycled cooking oil from restaurants).

Biodiesel refers to a diesel-equivalent, processed fuel derived from biological sources such as vegetable oils, etc; which can be used in unmodified diesel engine vehicles. It is thus distinguished from the straight vegetable oils (SVO) or waste vegetable oils (WVO) used as fuels in some modified diesel vehicles. The concept of using vegetable oil as a fuel dates back to 1895 when Dr. Rudolf Diesel developed the first diesel engine to run on vegetable oil. Diesel demonstrated his engine at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 using peanut oil as fuel.

Biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification whereby the glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil. The process leaves behind two products -- methyl esters (th"

KAIT - Jonesboro, AR: Biodiesel Making Its Way to Southeast Missouri

Adrian Eyre — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:17:00 +0000

KAIT - Jonesboro, AR: Biodiesel Making Its Way to Southeast Missouri: "DEXTER, MO -- Much like prices at the pump soy bean oil costs are on the rise. And with soybean oil being the most used biodiesel fuel stock... bio fuel producers are looking for alternatives.

A brand new biodiesel plant in Dexter, Missouri plans to use a fairly common bi-product to supplement their production. At Global Fuels 11C, they are ahead of the curve when it comes to alternative fuels.

'We can make biodiesel with soy bean oil or poultry grease or a combination,' said plant manager Tim Hutchcraft. Hutchcraft and his crew produced their first batch of biodiesel on Monday... the first of what they hope will be many more. 'As soon as we generate enough fuel we'll start selling it,' said Hutchcraft.

The new $5 million dollar plant located outside of Dexter is one of the first in a growing number of refineries looking to help the country decrease its demand for foreign oil.

'It's clean, renewable, it's completive, I think there's a spot in the industry for biodiesel,' commented Hutchcraft."

Welcome to Biodiesel Filling Stations

Adrian Eyre — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:15:00 +0000

Welcome to Biodiesel Filling Stations: "The single purpose of this site is to provide a list of places in the UK where people can fill their diesel vehicle with Biodiesel. It will grow to be a comprehensive list of Biodiesel outlets - not just filling stations. It will list only fuel outlets which supply Biodiesel which can go directly into diesel engines without engine modification. The term Biodiesel here refers to any percentage mix of vegetable based diesel.

The Main Environmental Advantage is that Biodiesel is carbon neutral, so using 100% Biodiesel in your vehicle means you are not adding to the global warming crisis. Biodiesel does not add any carbon because it utilises the amount of carbon which naturally circulates between the atmosphere and the biosphere (photosynthesis). Conventional fossil diesel however, does add to the overall level of carbon by extracting carbon deposited in the geosphere (mineral deposits) and releasing it into the atmosphere. Unlike any other available and easily accessible fuel at this time Biodiesel also has the potential of being 100% carbon neutral in its lifecycle too.

If you know of an outlet not listed here which sells Biodiesel (any percentage mix) or if you want to become an outlet, please email us, and we'll try to add them to the website"

Welcome to Biodiesel Filling Stations

Adrian Eyre — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:15:00 +0000

Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering - Biopitch produced from eucalyptus wood pyrolysis liquids as a renewable binder for carbon electrode manufa

Adrian Eyre — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 22:50:00 +0000

Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering - Biopitch produced from eucalyptus wood pyrolysis liquids as a renewable binder for carbon electrode manufacture: "The eucalyptus wood bio-oil used in this study was produced by slow pyrolysis in a continuous retort. It is insoluble in water and had previously been separated from the acidic aqueous phase by decantation. It has a density of 1.163 g.cm-3, a higher heating value of 21.3 MJ.kg-1 (5,100 kcal.kg-1), a viscosity of 43.5 cP at 40oC, a pH of 2.75 at 25oC and a humidity of 15% (Rezende et al., 1994).

Heat treatment of the bio-oil was carried out in the equipment shown in Figure 1, a 10-liter bench distiller/polymerizer. It consists of a resistively heated and well-swept stainless steel reactor (D-01) equipped with a mixer (G-01), temperature control (A-01), a thermocouple to measure the temperature inside the liquid (F-01) and a valve to discharge the material (E-01). The volatile material is condensed in a heat exchange (C-01) and recovered in a 5-liter reservoir (D-02). A vacuum pump (B-01) maintains the system at a low pressure. A liquid nitrogen trap (C-02) protects the pump against oil vapors and a pressure gauge (H-01) monitors reactor pressure. E-02, E-03 and E-04 are valves for distilled light-fraction discharge, closing the pump circuit and opening the system to atmospheric pressure, respectively. The temperature, heating rat"

Scotsman.com Business - Food, Drink & Agriculture - Green light for biodiesel plant

Adrian Eyre — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 22:39:00 +0000

Scotsman.com Business - Food, Drink & Agriculture - Green light for biodiesel plant: "Green light for biodiesel plant
FORDYCE MAXWELL

PLANNING approval has been given for a biodiesel factory at Rosyth, with an annual potential to handle 250,000 tonnes of oilseed rape.
That is more than double Scotland's present oilseed production, 120,000 tonnes from this harvest.
But John Forbes of East Coast Viners, is one of the main partners in the proposed development, said of planning approval by Fife Council: 'This is another welcome part of the jigsaw, but there is no precise timetable to build the plant.'
He did not think that the recent dramatic fall in world oil prices had made biodiesel production a less attractive proposition.
Government, he said, had made it clear that biodiesel from crops was still an important part of its renewable energy policy: 'They will still want biodiesel.'
Estimated cost of the new plant, not confirmed by Forbes, is about £47 million and it could employ up to 50 staff. "

Cleaner biodiesel powering city's vehicles | www.tucsoncitizen.com ®

Adrian Eyre — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 22:37:00 +0000

Cleaner biodiesel powering city's vehicles | www.tucsoncitizen.com ®: "The city has begun a program to reduce the choking fumes of diesel vehicles, all the while saving money.
A new federal regulation dramatically limiting the amount of sulfur allowed in diesel fuel goes into effect Sunday. It is intended to further help rid the air of harmful tailpipe emissions.
After months of testing, Tucson's City Fleet Services Division started last week to convert to a blend of 80 percent petroleum diesel fuel and 20 percent vegetable oil, usually soy oil, said Colleen Crowninshield, manager of the Clean Cities program for the Pima Association of Governments.
That's good for the environment because it is cleaner burning, and the blend, called B-20, is a cheaper alternative to 100 percent petroleum, she added. B-20 costs about a nickel a gallon less than pure petroleum.
Changing to B-20 will not affect warranties on the vehicles, Crowninshield said. The vegetable oil contains no sulfur.
There is another important saving in using B-20. It reduces the nation's dependence on foreign oil, she said. Initial estimates indicated the change will allow Tucson to use 200,000 fewer gallons of foreign oil per year.
Sunday is the federally mandated deadline for switching to diesel fuels with ultra-low sulfur content, Crowninshield said. The new fuel contains only 3 percent of the sulfur levels of diesel fuels sold in the past.
The old allowable level of sulfur in fuel was 500 parts per million. The new mandate is 15 ppm.
In addition to using ultra-low-sulphur fuels, new large trucks in the model year 2007 and beyond must have tailpipe filters before they can be licensed.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the cleaner fuel and filter systems should reduce air pollution from large trucks by 90 percent, Crownin"