BioFuel

The Cheaper Petrol Party strongly supports the introduction of BioFuels such as bio-diesel and ethanol.

 

What is BioFuel?  Benefits    Disadvantages   Greenhouse effect

 

What is BioFuel?

BioFuels are fuels made from once living organic materials.

In its strictest sense, all fossil fuels could be regarded as such. However fossil fuels take millions of years, and extreme pressure and heat from the Earth, to be formed. BioFuels are commonly known as liquid fuels and blending components produced from biomass (plants) feedstocks, used primarily for transportation. In other words, those fuels that can be manufactured from organic materials and produce fuels such as bio-diesel and ethanol.

When crude oil is refined, it gets separated into LPG, petrol, diesel, kerosene, bitumen etc.  These all contain molecules made up of Carbon (C) and Hydrogen (H). 

Crude oil distillation

The heavier the oil, the longer the molecule - More Carbon and Hydrogen atoms, more energy.

When the petrol or diesel are burnt, the carbon atoms combine with Oxygen (O2) to form Carbon dioxide (CO2) (which adds to global warming and greenhouse effect) and the hydrogen combines with Oxygen to form water (H2O). Both these processes produce energy, which is the bit that makes the car, truck or plane go. 

The problem with crude oil is that it takes millions of years to form, (hardly renewable) and so, once it's gone, that's it. Australia has deposits of oil, but it takes a fair bit of effort to get it out of the ground and so we have to import a lot of it every year.

BioFuels on the other hand, are made from by-products of farming. In the case of ethanol; by using Australian produced sugarcane waste, wheat or corn. Or from (waste) vegetable oil, in the case of bio-diesel. Both of these products can be grown and made in Australia, thereby reducing the reliance on imported crude oil.

Biofuel flowchart

Benefits of BioFuel:

  • Increased demand for domestic agricultural products.
  • It is a green fuel, does not contribute to the carbon dioxide (CO2)burden and produces drastically reduced engine emissions. It is non-toxic and biodegradable.
  • BioDiesel is a much better lubricant than petroleum diesel and its use can prolong engine life.
  • Renewable - BioDiesel  is derived from vegetable oil which is essentially home-grown by Australian farmers. It is a sustainable resource that will not run out. We need more, we grow more. Petroleum diesel is derived from crude oil, which is finite and will eventually run out.
  • Carbon Neutral - BioDiesel use does not lead to any overall change in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. The vegetables, from which the oil has been extracted, remove CO2 from the atmosphere to grow. When Bio-diesel  is burned the CO2 is released back into atmosphere, only to be taken up again when we grow more.
  • Less noxious, non-toxic - Bio-diesel  lacks the unpleasant odor of petroleum diesel and exhaust emissions smell like a barbecue. Users can expect a near 100% reduction in Sulphur dioxide (SO2), 40-60% reduction in soot & particulates, 10-50% reduction in Carbon monoxide (CO), and a reduction in all Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons PAHs - Phenanthren -97%, Benzofluoroanthen -56%, Benzapyren -71%, Aldehydes & Aromatics -13%.
  • Unlike petroleum diesel, it is biodegradable. A spill of crude oil in the ocean or on land can be an environmental disaster. And it happens a lot more often then most people know. Between 1974 and 2004 there have been 9,266 reported incidences of spills1.  Nearly 1500 of these were larger then 7 tonnes (about 7,000 litres). 340 of them were larger then 700 tonnes totalling more then 5.5 million tonnes (5.5 billion litres) of spilled oil. To put this into some perspective, the Exxon Valdez spill, in 1989, was only 37,000 tonnes, and we all know what a disaster that was. The cost of this cleanup alone was about US$2.5 billion.
  • BioDiesel is simple to make, and can be produced from waste animal or vegetable oil (cooking oil).
  • Classed as non-hazardous because it is non-toxic and has a high flash-point.
  • Burns more efficiently than petroleum diesel.
  • Can be used directly in unmodified diesel engines, either neat, or blended in any ratio with petroleum diesel. In other words, if bio-diesel is not available, for whatever reason, normal petroleum diesel can be used.

If these are the advantages, what are the disadvantages?

 

Disadvantages of BioFuel:

As with anything, if there are advantages, there are some disadvantages.

  • Availability - At the moment very few outlets & manufacturers. Fuel giants have not explored / invested in emerging BioFuel technology such as biologically produced fuels.
  • Poorly made bio-diesel of low quality can cause engine problems.
  • Producing bio-diesel, i.e. "home made", without proper equipment and safety precautions can be dangerous.
  • Bio-diesel has a lower caloric value (produces less energy per litre). This lower energy content leads to slightly higher fuel consumption.
  • High biodegradability also means that the fuel is less stable, which is disadvantageous with respect to longer-term storage. This adverse effect can be reduced by using additives or distillation.

 

Greenhouse effect of BioFuel.

  • Carbon Neutral - BioDiesel use does not lead to any overall change in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. The plants, from which the oil has been extracted, remove CO2 from the atmosphere to grow. When BioDiesel is burned the CO2 is released back into atmosphere, only to be taken up again when we grow more.
  • In the period 2006-07, 17.5 billion litres of diesel will be used in Australia. This produces 52 Million tonnes of CO2. In other words, if every truck in Australia used BioDiesel we would save 52,000,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

 

 

 

1) source: Internet INTERNATIONAL TANKER OWNERS POLLUTION FEDERATION LIMITED statistics.