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What are biofuels?
Biofuels usually refers to liquid fuels from renewable resources:
- Ethanol made from plants. Ethanol can be a substitute for, or blended with, gasoline made from petroleum.
- Biodiesel made from plant or animal oils. Biodiesel can be a substitute for, or blended with, diesel fuel made from petroleum.
What is biodiesel?
Biodiesel is a clean-burning diesel replacement fuel that can be used in compression-ignition (CI) engines, and which is manufactured from the following renewable, non-petroleum-based sources:
- Virgin vegetable oils such as soy, mustard, canola, safflower, rapeseed, and palm oils
- Animal fats such as poultry offal, tallow, and fish oils;
- Used cooking oils and trap grease from restaurants.
Biodiesel is produced in pure form (100% biodiesel or B100), but is usually blended with petrodiesel at low levels, between 2% (B2) to 20% (B20) in the U.S. It is often blended at higher levels in other parts of the world, particularly in Europe , where higher-level blends up to B100 are used.
Biodiesel is NOT unprocessed vegetable oil. Vegetable oil can be used in some diesel engines (especially if heated) but may not be encouraged by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).Biodiesel is produced through a refinery process called transesterification. Fuel-grade biodiesel must be produced to strict industry specifications (ASTM D6751) in order to insure proper performance.
Can I substitute biodiesel for diesel in my trucks and equipment?
Biodiesel can be used as a pure fuel or blended with petroleum in any percentage. B20 (a blend of 20 percent by volume biodiesel with 80 percent by volume petroleum diesel) has demonstrated significant environmental benefits with a minimal increase in cost for fleet operations and other consumers. While a diesel engine can run on B100, it can clog the filters of older engines quite rapidly, so operators of older engines should be advised to change the filter more frequently at first. Low level blends (1%-2%) of biodiesel can restore lubricity to low-sulfur fuels.
Running on B100 requires some considerations – Cold flow properties must be acknowledged and managed. The good news is that this is being done successfully in some of the coldest climates in the Rocky Mountain West. For more information on cold flow properties, see WORC Fact Sheet: “Biodiesel: Powering Through the Winter”(pdf 322k) and “Using Biofuels in the West: Success Stories” (pdf 467k)
Where is biodiesel available?
Find biodiesel availability here. There may be sites not yet on the map. For instance, Powell, WY, (McIntosh Oil) and Billings, MT, (Town Pump at King and 32 nd St) offer B20 at retail locations, but have not yet been posted on the map as of September, 2006. Colorado-based Blue Sun Biodiesel offers B20 at several pumps throughout Colorado, Idaho, and New Mexico. North Dakota has several biodiesel outlets, too.
What is ethanol?
Ethanol is a high-octane, alcohol-based, fuel or fuel additive produced from wheat, corn, or other renewable feedstocks. It is produced utilizing proven technology to convert wheat or corn starch into sugars with the addition of enzymes, and fermenting the sugars into alcohol with yeast. Distillation columns are used to separate the ethanol from the mash, and molecular sieves are used to purify the ethanol. A small amount of gasoline is added as a denaturant to the final ethanol product to make it unfit for human consumption. The denatured ethanol is subsequently shipped by truck and rail to blending facilities.
What is cellulosic ethanol?
Cellulosic ethanol is made from cellulose rather than starch or sugars. Cellulose is the most common cellular component in the plant world, and makes up much of the stem and leaves of many plants. Tapping the energy in cellulose opens a vastly expanded supply of low-cost feedstocks that farmers and ranchers can grow. For ethanol to significantly reduce oil imports and improve national oil security, feedstocks must shift from grains to cellulose, such as corn stover, wheat straw, rice husks, or perennial native grasses that can be mowed such as switchgrass. A feedstock of perennial native grasses would minimize soil loss and petroleum-based inputs, increase net energy values, and shift fuel production to marginal lands, much less likely to negatively impact food production. Government and private sector research and development dollars are being put towards improved technologies to economically break down the stubborn molecular bonds of cellulose so that it can be easily fermented into ethanol.
Can I run ethanol in my car?
Terminology is important because the term “ethanol” means different things to different people:
• “Ethanol” is the 100% pure ethanol coming from the production facility.
• Sometimes people say “ethanol” and mean the blend of 10% ethanol / 90% gasoline called E10, which is sold across the country from many gas pumps.
• Sometimes people say “ethanol” and mean the blend of 85% ethanol / 15% gasoline called E85.
Different definitions of “ethanol” can lead to confusion, such as the misunderstandings that “a special vehicle is required to run on ethanol” or that “ethanol is only available at a small portion of the nation’s gas stations.” In these cases, people say “ethanol” but actually mean the alternative fuel E85.
All gasoline-powered vehicles are “ethanol-capable” and can use a blend of up to 10% ethanol. This “E10” is a blend of 10% ethanol / 90% unleaded gasoline and is the most common way ethanol is sold to motorists. Since the 1980s, all automakers have covered the use of up to 10% ethanol under warranty, and no engine modifications are necessary to use E10. E10 is a cleaner burning fuel than straight gasoline.
In the United States there are now five million vehicles on the road that can run on E85, called flexible fuel vehicles or FFV’s. The Big Three Detroit automakers recently announced plans to double their production of FFV’s from 1 million to 2 million annually by 2010. The cost of adapting a car to run on E85 runs between $100 - $200.
Where can I find E85?
Locations for E85 pumps are rapidly expanding and vary considerably from state to state. You can locate one in your area by checking the web site.
As of July, 2006, Minnesota was home to more than 250 E85 stations with another 20 expected by mid-August. On average, two new E85 outlets have opened in Minnesota every week since January, 2006.
As of August 2006, South Dakota had 47 E85 pumps, and North Dakota had 30. Montana hosted only 3 E85 pumps in West Yellowstone, Helena, and one at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, which is not available to the public. Wyoming had four E85 pumps (Aug, 2006); Idaho had two, one of which is not public (ID National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory), Colorado had 11; and Oregon had three, two of which are not public (operated by the Bonneville Power Assn. and the state motor pool). In late August a fourth station was opened by SeQuential Biofuels in Eugene on I-5, offering E10, E85, and a variety of biodiesel blends, including B5, B20, B100 (which is actually a blend with 99.9% biodiesel with .1% diesel).
Some have challenged the net energy balance of biofuels. Is there an energy gain in the production of ethanol or biodiesel?
Ethanol derived from corn delivered at the pump yields 1.0 unit of energy for 0.74 units of fossil energy. By contrast, energy used to process petroleum takes 1.23 units to deliver 1 unit of gasoline at the pump. Delivering one unit of cellulosic ethanol energy at the pump takes only 0.10 units of fossil energy (Michael Wang, An Update of Energy and Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Fuel Ethanol, Argonne National Laboratory, Feb. 2005).
Ethanol has been criticized over the years for its net energy balance. Two recent independent high profile metastudies in the leading journals Science (Alexander E. Farrell, et al. “Ethanol Can Contribute to Energy and Environmental Goals,” Vol. 311, 27 January 2006, pgs 506-508) and Environmental Science and Technology (Roel Hammerschlag, “Ethanol’s Energy Return on Investment: A survey of the Literature 1990-Present,” February 2006) revealed that ethanol critics used some obsolete data and inadequate methods in their analyses.
Cellulosic ethanol has a significantly better energy return and global warming pollution profile in large part because cellulosic biomass arrives at the ethanol production facility combined with a renewable source of energy more than sufficient to drive the production process, lignin. While lignin cannot be fermented into ethanol, it does have a significant energy value – enough energy not only to power the entire ethanol production process but also to export energy. Production of both corn and cellulosic ethanol greatly extend existing petroleum supplies.
A U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture study on full lifecycle emissions found that for every unit of fossil energy needed to make biodiesel, 3.2 units of energy are gained.
Can biofuels replace foreign oil imports?
Currently, the U.S. consumes 20.6 million barrels per day of petroleum, 60% of which come from imports. Ninety-five percent of oil is burned as fuel, 2/3 of which is gasoline. A multi-pronged approach of strategic initiatives and investments in efficiencies and biofuels, both public and private, could effectively displace foreign imports over the next 20 years, as well as substantially decrease greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants. (Aspen Institute Report: “A High Growth Strategy Strategy for Ethanol”) For the most part, the technologies on which these steps rely already exist and are currently in various stages of commercialization and development. Public policy can accelerate this transition to achieve greater national security and energy independence, greenhouse gas reductions, and an infusion of jobs, productivity and income in rural and industrial sectors. Public policy leadership will be necessary in order to allocate resources efficiently so that the benefits can be maximized.
“Efficiency is critical to every environmental aspect of biofuels and is crucial if biofuels are to play a major role in reducing our dependency on oil. Efficiency of land use (yield per acre), efficiency of conversion of biomass into biofuels (gallons per ton of biomass), efficiency of end use (miles per gallon), and efficiency of transportation (miles traveled per vehicle) all combine to determine the overall scale of each environmental impact from biofuels….
“Biofuels can either require an entirely unsustainable amount of land and thus be limited to a small role in an unsustainable future, or we can improve the efficiency of every stage of the lifecycle of biofuels, especially the fuel economy of our cars and trucks, and biofuels can provide virtually all our remaining need.”
Nathaneal Green, Natural Resources Defense Council, Ethanol and The Environment: Delivering on the Promise of a Sustainable Biofuel”, addendum to “A High Growth Strategy for Ethanol” Aspen Institute Policy Dialogue, March, 2006
A critical step to displace oil imports would be to get serious about corporate average fuel economy (CAFÉ) standards. Improving the average fuel economy of the entire U.S. car fleet by just 5.3 miles per gallon could displace all Persian Gulf imports. Replacing every vehicle with a high mileage hybrid (averaging over 50 MPG) would cut U.S. oil consumption in half, nearly eliminating the need for imported oil. Such hybrid autos are on the market today, with more models offered every year. Advances are being made in the hybrid design to allow for plug in hybrids that could get100 mpg.
Biofuels usage multiplies the reductions in the petroleum based transportation sector. Currently, over 5 million flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) on the road are designed to utilize E85 ethanol. The Big Three U.S. automakers have committed to significantly increase the number of new FFV’s, doubling their annual production capacity by 2010.
While, ethanol derived from corn is not expected to significantly displace imports, it is an important and strategic bridge to a liquid fuel system based on cellulose feedstocks. Corn-based ethanol is spurring the infrastructure in automotive stock, fuel station pumps and refineries that is moving the country toward E85, with significantly reduced air pollution.
In addition, U.S. Government, state, municipal, and private fleets are increasingly turning to biodiesel, making it the fastest growing alternative fuel in America. Annual biodiesel production reached 75 million gallons in 2005 (1.8 million barrels) – three times the 25 million gallons produced just one year earlier. For context, Montana used 380 million gallons of diesel in 2004.
By contrast, the European Union, which has aggressively pursued biodiesel development, produced 13 million barrels of oil equivalent in 2005. While biodiesel supplies a small percentage of energy use, production capacity is increasing rapidly in the U.S. and Europe. In Europe, at the farm level, small-scale processors and seed press systems are now available that can produce biodiesel economically from farm waste or oil seed crops. (Commission of the European Communities, Brussels, 2.8.06 “An EU Strategy for Biofuels)
Can biofuels reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that contribute to global warming?
The answer is yes!
Even if the world were not running out of petroleum, which it is, concern for limiting greenhouse gas emissions requires curtailing the use of petroleum and other fossil fuels. There are a variety of ways to measure the reductions in greenhouse gases. The use of biofuels simply recycles recent origin CO2. The numbers will vary because they are measuring different things – e.g. lifecycle energy inputs/outputs vs. emissions from the tank of an internal combustion light automobile. Life cycle CO2 emissions from ‘wells to tank’ showed that, on average, E10 could reduce CO2 emissions compared to gasoline by 27%, and E85 by about 240%. ( Griffin and Lave – part of “A High Growth Strategy for Ethanol”) Biofuels could reduce global warming pollution by 1.7 billion tons per year – 22% of total U.S. emissions in 2002. (Nathaneal Greene, NRDC, Ibid.)
A U.S. Department of Energy study showed that the production and use of biodiesel, compared to petroleum diesel, resulted in a 78.5% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. (from National Biodiesel Board)
Is there a trade-off between meeting the world’s need for renewable energy and the need for food?
Not if biofuels are developed carefully and sustainably. Public policy is vitally important in this regard. Thoughtful people express concerns that producing large quantities of fuel from farms could affect food supply and result in shortages. After all, even now, with over-production of most staple crops in many countries, there are still many people across the world who suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Critics have also raised concerns that fairly intensive, monoculture crops, such as corn and soybeans, grown for conversion to biofuels, may not be the best use of prime farmlands.
It is important to note that starch based ethanol and biodiesel both produce a rich, high protein animal feed that can help feed a hungry world, so all of the food value is not lost.
WORC has adopted a set of Sustainability Criteria to guide its policies on these and other questions. Intensive, high input agriculture should not be the primary feedstock for biofuels over time, for a variety of reasons, including sustainability. Initially, corn based ethanol and soy bean based biodiesel are helping to jumpstart a biofuels industrial capacity in the U.S., and both commodities have been in oversupply in recent decades. In the long run, if biofuels are to be efficient, environmentally sustainable and economically competitive, they will need to rely primarily on feedstocks other than corn and soybeans.
In the Northern Great Plains, for example, small grain crops can be rotated with oil seed crops like safflower to break pest and weed cycles, reduce the amount of petroleum based fertilizers required, and help fix nitrogen in the soil and recover nitrates.
Cellulosic ethanol, based on a native perennial crop like switchgrass, provides a low input feedstock that can be grown on marginal lands with less impact on water and soils, wildlife, and much lower greenhouse gas impacts. Moreover, lignin in the plants, which cannot be fermented and distilled into ethanol, provides a biomass energy source to fuel the process.
Public policies to substantially displace oil imports or reduce greenhouse gas emissions will necessarily require simultaneous public and private initiatives and investments in more efficient cars and trucks, and energy use in general. Biofuels cannot be “the solution.” It can only be part of the solution, along with increased CAFÉ standards, hybrids or plug in hybrids, wind and solar generated electricity, and increased investments in efficiency in buildings and industrial processes.
It is important to critically analyze the various strategies for biofuels development from the perspective of food and world hunger. Biofuels may actually provide a strategic asset for self sufficiency and added income for some of the world’s poorest and developing nations, increasing income and reducing hunger. Today, as for the past 30 years, great disparities in wealth and unjust allocation of resources are at the root of world hunger, not lack of food.
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