| |
 GREEN ENERGY
PALM OIL
BIODIESEL
|
|
|
Biodiesel - Advantages
|
The advantages of biodiesel and numerous and diverse:
Biodiesel outperforms gasoline, ethanol, and conventional diesel in overall fuel efficiency:
|
|
* expressed in Btus per Btu of fossil fuel energy consumed
over its life-cycle
|
Biodiesel (B100, i.e., 100% biodiesel) dramatically reduces emissions, as compared with conventional, petroleum-based diesel:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions: a 78% reduction (based on USA Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture lifecycle emissions studies).
Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas contributing to global warming.
As biodiesel is produced from plants, these plants had been absorbing carbon dioxide when they were still growing in the field. When taking into account both carbon dioxide absorptions and later carbon dioxide emissions, the overall life-cycle result is a significant lowering of carbon dioxide emissions, as compared with both petroleum-based diesel and gasoline. Biodiesel thus helps combat global warming.
- Sulfur emissions: total elimination (sulfur is known to cause respiratory disease and contributes to acid rain).
- Particulate matter emissions(black soot and smoke exhaust): a 47% reduction.
- Carbon monoxide (CO) emissions: a 48% reduction.
- Hydrocarbon emissions (volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which form harmful ozone): an 85% reduction.
- Cancer-causing potential: a 94% reduction.
Blended biodiesel fuel, such as B20, reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 15% (based on USA Department of Energy data).
Biodiesel has a high ignition point (175°C/350°F vs. -42°C/-43°F for gasoline), and is therefore a safer fuel.
Blended biodiesel can be used in existing diesel engines, requiring little or no modifications.
Biodiesel is better for vehicle engines than conventional diesel: it provides greater lubrication and also leaves fewer particulate deposits behind.
Biodiesel dramatically reduces engine wear and is much less caustic to mechanics.
Biodiesel mixes easily with petroleum diesel, and has higher cetane, similar power and torque and meets ASTM standards.
Biodiesel can be distributed utilizing existing fuel distribution infrastructure.
Biodiesel is biodegradable.
Biodiesel is considered nontoxic by the USA Environmental Protection Agency.
Biodiesel is made from plants that grow again on the same plot of land, year after year, or from the fruit produced by trees on a continuous basis – and is therefore sustainable.
Biodiesel is used for oil spill clean up.
Biodiesel reduces reliance on diminishing fossil fuel resources.
Biodiesel allows governments a greater degree of freedom when making policy decisions, when their dependency on foreign countries for their energy supply is reduced.
|
|
|
|
