Biodiesel is a clean-burning, renewable, non-toxic, biodegradable and environmentally-friendly transportation fuel that can be used in neat form or in blends with petroleum-derived diesel.
As generally defined, "biodiesel" refers to alkyl or esters made by transesterifying vegetable oils and animal fats as well as used vegetable oils, fats and waste products for use in compression-ignition diesel engines.
In the United States, commercialization of biodiesel is supported by oilseed and other potential biodiesel feedstock producers and processors. Additionally, USDA and DOE have taken an active interest in biodiesel development, as have land grant colleges and universities, original equipment manufacturers and diesel fleet operators.
The wide variety of potential feedstocks including soybean oil, rendered animal fats and used vegetable oils yellow grease means that some type of biodiesel could be produced in every region of the country. In recognition of the fact that soybeans are in great abundance in the U.S. and that new uses for agricultural commodities is a priority, in March 1992 a group of soybean farmers formed the National Soy Fuels Advisory Committee to explore ways of commercializing "SoyDiesel," one of many types of biodiesel. The Committee concluded that commercialization of biodiesel would greatly benefit both the soybean industry and American agriculture generally. However, bringing this concept to fruition would require a major effort of research, demonstration, fleet testing and promotion.
To carry out this mission, in October 1992 the group
formed the National SoyDiesel Development Board, a not-for-profit corporation,
now known as the National Biodiesel Board. The main priorities of the this Board
include development of fuel standards for biodiesel, determination of its engine
performance and emissions in various blends with diesel fuel and the
requirements for commercial acceptance of the fuel. The Board has committed
substantial funding in an unprecedented effort to fully test and evaluate a
motor fuel prior to its full commercialization.
Stricter U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions requirements for
heavy-duty engines, both on- and off-road, including urban buses, have generated
substantial interest in biodiesel. Its performance similarities to conventional
"petrodiesel" have moved biodiesel into consideration as a clean-burning
alternative fuel or fuel component that will be required in fleets and other
applications well into the next century. EPA enforcement of the Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1990
has increased support for alternative fuels and stricter emissions requirements
and set the tone for these procedures to a degree unknown just a decade ago.
Since 1992, the Board has allocated more than $10 million of farmer check-off funds for the development of biodiesel. This unprecedented grass-roots support for a fuel that has yet to be fully commercialized will make biodiesel the most thoroughly tested and evaluated motor fuel in history. Specifically designed to ensure the success of biodiesel, the current priorities of the group are:
The National Biodiesel Board has funded a number of emissions tests of biodiesel blends in several mass transit bus engines at EPA-certified laboratories using the EPA-approved Federal Test Procedures. The Board has also initiated near-term demonstration projects. The principal studies to date in the U.S. involve ten - 40 percent by volume blends of biodiesel with conventional diesel fuel.
The principal bus engine manufacturers, Detroit Diesel Corporation, Cummins and Navistar, are cooperating with the Board in testing their engines. In blends of biodiesel of up to 30 percent by volume, no instances of fuel system degradation have been identified. In cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the Board is also investigating engines operated in underground mines, as well as inside buildings such as warehouses.
Liquefied natural gas or propane, compressed natural gas, methanol and ethanol fuels have been under consideration and tested for over a decade. Biodiesel, a relative late-comer as an alternative fuel, is being tested extensively in cooperation with EPA and DOE. The National Biodiesel Board and other supporters believe that biodiesel will penetrate this market because it can be more cost-effectively integrated into existing fleet operations and infrastructures. By optimizing existing engines for biodiesel, the Board believes that these vehicles can comply with new federal requirements while saving metropolitan areas the costs of developing new infrastructures and buying new vehicles/engines.
The next five years will be crucial for the development and expanded use of
biodiesel in the United States. The National Biodiesel Board's objectives for
biodiesel include developing higher oil-yielding soybean and alternative
feedstocks tallow, yellow grease and other oilseeds such as rape, peanut,
cotton, sunflower, safflower and Chinese tallow tree and engineering different
blends of
oils to
reduce the cost to the end-user. There will also be a focus on specific high
value, niche market uses that justify higher prices, such as in environmentally
sensitive areas forests, marshlands and waterways. Conversion technology will
also be examined to determine the least-cost way of producing quality fuels.
Finally, the development of new uses for glycerine, meal and other co-products
is inherent in reducing the net cost of biodiesel.
To make this possible, the National Biodiesel Board is taking advantage of public policy initiatives for alternative and cleaner-burning fuels enacted since 1988. As with other alternative fuels, these energy and environmental policy initiatives form the nucleus for the expanded use of biodiesel in key markets.