MAR 04

This could end up being quite a hit to the bio-diesel industry. Scientists at the Wood's Hole Oceanographic institute tested the bio-diesel mixes flowing from pumps all over the nation and found that they were not what they said they were.

Only 10% of pumps actually delivered the mixtures advertised. Most biodiesel pumps advertise B20, a blend of 20% biodiesel, 80% regular diesel. This mix allows a wider range of trucks to use the fuel, and stretches the supply of biodiesel.

Unfortunately, in the fuels tested, the actual amount of biodiesel in the fuel ranged widely from 10% to almost 75%. And while the 10% is discouraging, because the environmental gains are decreased, the 75% is what's really scary. Cars and trucks that haven't been converted to run on higher concentrations of biodiesel can be damaged by concentrations that high.

This damage, and concerns from the trucking industry, are actually why the study was done in the first place. Now here's the real bad news. This lax regulation by the biodiesel industry is threatening its largest contracts, including a gigantic deal with the Department of Defense.

Looks like the honeymoon is over...it's time for some real regulations on the biodiesel industry.

Via WBCSD

Comments (9)

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written by Terra Verde, March 04, 2008

Haven't we already well established that there is a lot of environmental harm that comes from most biodiesel anyway? The honeymoon has been over for a really, really long time from what I've been watching.

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Get a clue
written by Geesherder, March 04, 2008

Two things stand out about this item. You don't need to convert your diesel to use B99 or B100, so the author needs to do some research before denigrating biodiesel usage.

Second, biodiesel has a negative environmental impact if it is stupidly produced using corn (just like the E85 idiocy) or soy or any other foodstock. Biodiesel should and could be sourced from jatropha, switchgrass, algae, crop wastes and waste vegetable oil. Sourcing bio or E85 from corn, etc. is a colossal waste of time, economics and energy for all of us.

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written by matt, March 04, 2008

That is frightening. I'd hate to say that the biodiesel movement is moving too fast, but there is some haste mixed with lack of regulation. Time to regulate indeed. Great post.

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biodiesel
written by FillmoreFuels, March 05, 2008

Biodiesel is part of the solution not the problem. Every time you add more regulation to an industry you only hurt competition and destroy those who can do a better job from getting into the market-more regulation only protects the people who are doing a bad job. If you can prove that you paid for 20% biodiesel and only received 5% a lawsuit would be a more appropriate approach. If you want to make your own fuel visit http://www.FillmoreFuels.com making your own fuel can solve some of these problems.

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written by sscott, March 05, 2008

Yeah right ,a lawsuit, then after 10 years of litigation you can achieve what exactly? Add some individual accountability and get the people doing a shitty job out of the marketplace. Let me guess, Fillmore Fuels, are you lawyers or shills trying to sell your stuff while others bog themselves down in court?!

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nice blog
written by seetharamaraju, March 05, 2008

this blog is inviting people to understand the bio diesel projects, its advantages and disadvantages.
nice to visit this site.

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written by Steve Wallace, March 07, 2008

We have seen several fleets brought to a stand still due to unexpectedly high biodiesel concentrations. Many fleets use B5 or B20 to reduce their risk. Given recent production quality issues, they have good reasons to be worried.
Distributors are notorious for improper handling of biodiesel; it's NOT petroleum, though many of them treat it that way. Splash blending is a common example of incorrect handling.
To address this issue, and to get fleet managers to start using biodiesel, Fleet Biodiesel developed a simple test kit (fill the bottle and shake it) to detect biodiesel at a level exceeding 30%. These tests are generally intended for fleet managers, but can be used by local biodiesel users (or retailers) to periodically check what’s coming out of the pump (they retail for $7.50/test). We also sell test kits that detect high Acid Number, Water, and Glycerin contamination.

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Buy B100, then you'll know
written by Michael, March 14, 2008

These issues seem to concentrate on the concentration of Bio vs Dino. Obviously you can't trust these guys to blend it correctly, so blend it yourself by buying B100. I buy 180 gallons at a time and use a little basic math to keep the percentage where I need it--high in the summer, low in the winter.

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Do some homework, don't trust the media
written by zahamm, May 10, 2008

For God's sake, don't believe the media. Do your own homework and find out what the biofuels industry is really doing? Want to know why Corn, Soybean, and Sugar prices are so high? Not because of biofuels, but because of the weak dollar and Asia's growing economy.

It's actually cheaper to buy soybean oil from the US and ship it all the way to China because our dollar is so weak right now. How do I know this? Because I'm in that business.

Don't believe the CRAP that Time Magasine and CCN are feeding you. They're just out for ratings.

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