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A report from the AgTech Centre

Biodiesel shows promise as cleaner-burning fuel

New renewable fuels on the horizon could mean a cleaner-burning alternative to traditional petroleum and an opportunity for new agricultural markets, say engineers with Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD).

One of those fuels, biodiesel, shows tremendous promise because of its cleaner-burning nature and its potential ability to increase market opportunities for Canadian agricultural products, says Kelly Lund, an AAFRD engineer in training. A new interest in making biodiesel more cost-competitive with regular diesel will also increase its attractiveness.

"Biodiesel and other renewable fuels are experiencing a revival as jurisdictions worldwide are looking to increase energy and economic security, as well as ensure environmentally sustainable energy production long-term," says Lund.

The Canadian government is recognizing this trend and has started to increase its support for renewable fuels. The focus is largely on ethanol, but a new public policy is being planned that eliminates the fuel tax (currently $0.05/L in Alberta) on all renewable fuels, including biodiesel, which would make them more cost-competitive with petroleum products.

So far, high production and consumption costs for renewable fuels have prohibited the industry's development. However, the new policy would put the cost to the consumer of these fuels more on par with gasoline and regular diesel, potentially increasing their demand.

Biodiesel is derived from vegetable oil or animal fat, says Lund. In their natural state, these fats are too viscous to be used effectively in a Diesel engine that has not been modified. However, reducing the viscosity, by cracking the fats and removing the glycerine, makes them suitable for use in biodiesel production.

Many field crops are suitable to make this type of oil, but in Canada, canola would likely be the crop of choice to produce it, Lund adds.

Alcohol in the form of either ethanol, which can be made using grains, soybeans or corn, or methanol is then added to bind to the remaining fat compounds, the esters. The final result, which is an alcohol-based compound, is the biodiesel product.

Other than cost, there are no obvious performance reasons to limit biodiesel development. Over the past 15 years, research by North American university research programs and others, has found that while some cold weather blending technology may be required, there is no indication that biodiesel performance is less than that of its petroleum counterpart.

"They've actually discovered there are advantages to biodiesel," says Lund. "Even at low blend amounts it provides lubricity to the engine, extending engine life. Using biodiesel increases safety because of its higher combustion temperature and, because of the natural oxygenation process, it provides a more complete burn and therefore fewer emissions. It is also less persistent in the environment and has received lots of attention as a fuel of choice in sensitive marine and other protected environments."

Part of biodiesel's additional attractiveness is that it may create new uses for Canadian canola, grains, soybeans and corn.

Biodiesel is not commercially available in Canada yet, though there have recently been developments in its production, says Lund. A Foam Lake, Sask., company produces and sells biodiesel as a specialized lubricity additive. A Westbank, B.C., company produces biodiesel on a small scale for its own use and consults on small-scale biodiesel production. And, in Eastern Canada, a Toronto company has developed a continuous biodiesel process and is sponsoring a trial using Toronto Hydro fleet vehicles.

Individuals can produce biodiesel on a small scale by chemically transforming oil in a batch process, says Lund. However, those individuals are cautioned their vehicle fuel system warranties can be voided if the biodiesel is not produced to very specific standards.

The AAFRD's AgTech Centre will have information on biodiesel at the 2003 Agri-Trade Expo and a demonstration tractor running on straight canola oil. The show runs Nov. 5-8 at the Westerner Grounds in Red Deer, Alta.

AAFRD's Agricultural Engineering Branch has a mandate to support all aspects of agricultural sustainability.

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