The Best Thing About Biodiesel

Biodiesel is an alternative-fuel option for diesel burning motors. It has similar chemical properties to standard mineral based diesel but differs in that it has many positive traits for the people of the world and the environment. Biodiesel has many benefits that it offers the manufacturers, the growers, the sellers, and the consumers. But what is the best thing about Biodiesel?

Facts:

• Biodiesel’s raw materials are renewable.
• Biodiesel manufacturing produces virtually no waste product.
• Biodiesel makes western governments less dependent on oil producing countries.
• Biodiesel burns cleaner than standard diesel fuel.
• Biodiesel offers similar performance results as standard diesel fuel.
• Biodiesel is cleaner to manufacture than standard diesel fuel.

The best thing about Biodiesel though is that it is not the fuel of the future, the future is now. Biodiesel is ready to be manufactured and consumed as we speak. Many times when a new technology becomes a reality there is a lag time between when it is invented or developed and when it is ready to be released for general use. This lag time is generally used to let all segments of the manufacturing, distributing, and consumption process become a reality. With Biodiesel, this lag time is not needed.

Bringing Biodiesel to the marketplace would involve four main components. Raw materials to manufacture the fuel from must be found and obtained. Fuel must be processed, or refined, so that it is able to be put into vehicles. There must be a distribution plan setup to get the fuel to market. There must be end users who are able to use the finished fuel product.

The raw materials for Biodiesel are vegetation. Biodiesel is made from vegetable oil. In most cases corn or soybean oil is used to make the vegetable oil that is eventually turned into Biodiesel. As these raw materials are very common in almost every corner of the world, obtaining them is not difficult at all.

The processing of Biodiesel is going on right this very minute. Far sighted companies and individuals have been putting millions upon millions of dollars into Biodiesel processing plants all around the world. Millions and millions of gallons of Biodiesel can be made in the United States alone. This process is much cleaner than the process of refining standard diesel fuel as well. There are virtually no leftover byproducts and less pollution is made during the manufacturing process.

The physical properties of Biodiesel are so similar to that of standard diesel fuel that all machinery in use now that is used to handle the distribution of diesel fuel could be used in the distribution of Biodiesel. From the fuel tankers that haul it down the freeway to the gas station’s underground tanks and above ground fuel pumps, Biodiesel needs no special equipment that is not already in use.

So, now we have grown the raw materials, manufactured the Biodiesel, and delivered it to the fuel stations, all that’s left is finding the consumers. Biodiesel can be used in most standard diesel fuel engines with little to no adjustment made to the engine itself. Wherever there is a standard diesel fuel burning automobile, there is a potential end user for Biodiesel.

Biodiesel is ready now to be manufactured, delivered, and used as an alternative to petroleum based fuels. When thinking of the possibilities of Biodiesel, we no longer have to think of “one day”, we can just think of “today”.