Biodiesel Benz

Paul Vachier wrote in a few days ago about two of his biofuel projects. First is a great writeup of his experiences with a Golf TDI & biodiesel (this is what I drive). Here's a snippet:

"In terms of driving and overall satisfaction, this is my favorite car to date. It handles great and has extremely comfortable seats and I absolutely love the gas mileage. It is German engineered through-and-through which means it is designed for the driving experience despite its frugal nature and can move along very quickly thanks to the turbo charger."

The second is an article on converting an old Mercedes Benz to run on Straight Veggie Oil:

"Lyle bought a two fuel tank conversion kit for $500 and found a local mechanic familiar with conversions who installed it for $1,000. The car's original tank was kept and holds regular diesel (or B20, B100) fuel for cold weather starting. A second tank was installed in the trunk for vegetable oil. Hoses are run from the car's radiator to the tank to heat the oil via a heat exchanger before it enters the final fuel filter and injectors inside the engine compartment."

Great stuff!

Malaysia

Green Car Congress is reporting that Malaysia is set to build its first Biodiesel refinery. It will all be exported though:

"Chin said the fuel could not be used in Malaysia as the existing infrastructure of the major oil companies in the country to blend the bio-diesel with petroleum diesel was insufficient."

"The companies would have to work together with MPOB and Golden Hope Plantations to develop the infrastructure, he said, adding that there weren't any legal provisions for the alternative fuel in the country at the moment."

Link Roundup

(Apologies for the lack of posting lately; things have been mighty busy at work...)

I've been getting caught up on my Deep Green Crystals reading this weekend; here's an excellent roundup of links courtesy of Martin:

• Wood as an ethanol source
• Bio Lyle's Biodiesel Workshop video
• Waste veggie oil in Seattle
• Seattle Biodiesel got funding and is hiring
• Martin pimped out his new Beetle TDI - love the chrome "BIODIESEL" lettering!
  

10,000!

A 10,000-gallon biodiesel tank going in the ground at Seattle's University District. Excellent!

[via Rob / Propel Fuels]

No TDI For You!

A friend writes:

"I just noticed that the VW web site states that Diesel (TDI) engines are NOT available in California, Maine, Vermont, New York and Massachusetts..."

"Huh?"

This is how I understand it; please correct me if I'm wrong!

It has to do with those states having strict(er) laws about diesel fuel and emissions. Because diesel has traditionally been heavily-polluting, these states are throttling the supply of passenger diesel-powered cars. I think it also affects Mercedes-Benz, and whoever else sells passenger diesels.

Next year, all diesel fuel sold in California is required by law to be of the ultra low-sulfur variety, which is lower-polluting, and therefore VW will be allowed to sell TDIs again.

Or something like that.

New Mexico

Does anybody out there have info about biodiesel availability in New Mexico? I just heard from a friend in Santa Fe who's considering buying a VW TDI, but this map doesn't look too promising...

Thinking of Going Biodiesel

A BiodieselBlog reader writes,

Biodiesel is pretty widely available in my area. Currently the price difference with conventional fuel is trivial, but even if demand shoots up and goes to $3 per gallon I could live the difference between that and conventional fuel."

I am not a mechanic. And don't want a lot of fuss so:

1) Do I buy of the cars that is rated especially for biodiesel?

2) Do I buy any decent mainstream diesel (Volkswagon or Ford mostly it looks like) and just run it on biodiesel instead of conventional fuel.

3) If I go route 1 (buying a car with some sort of modifications for biodiesel) if I'm out in the desert and conventional diesel is the only fuel around can I put that in instead without damaging my car. In other words can I use biodiesel normally, and regular diesel once in a blue moon if I happen to be somewhere biodiesel is not available.

I'm biased, but I'd definitely encourage the reader to go biodiesel if it's widely available in his/her area — buy whatever VW TDI would work best lifestyle-wise, given how efficient they are. Biodiesel and regular diesel blend just fine.

If you have any other advice, feel free to post it in the comments.

Biodiesel Blog Aggregation

I just came across a nice aggregation of all the various biodiesel-related weblogs out there:

http://biodieselblogs.truffula.net/

Eucalyptus oil?

A reader from Hawaii writes:

"After the demise of the commercial sugar industry here in Hawaii, we were challenged with creating a "New Agriculture for our island. As a part of that effort large plantings of eucalyptus now occupy some of the lands once used for sugar. Soon those trees will be harvested. So the question is ; Can the oils found in the fall-down/ by-product (branches and leaves) of these trees be used in the production of bio fuels?"

Anybody have any info about eucalyptus oil? Leave a comment.

National Biodiesel Conference updates

First, an article from Wired News: Backroom Tussling Over Biodiesel

"The farmers, soybean growers from Midwestern states, are enlisting the help of environmentalists and celebrities, to give them the hip, eco-friendly image they need to reach young adults and baby boomers. The relationship between soybean growers and environmentalists is proving a rocky one, however..."

"One worry backyarders and environmentalists have is that a biodiesel market dominated by soybean growers will promote the use of Monsanto's Roundup Ready soybean seeds, which have been genetically altered to resist the company's herbicide, Roundup."

There are some good quotes in there from SaraHope of the Berkeley Biofuel Oasis and Lyle from Piedmont Biofuels.

[via Ryan]

Next, an update from Martin Tobias, who runs the Living on Biodiesel blog:

"There are actual customers at the show. Farmers, entrepreneurs, distributors, retailers, large fuel consumers, and more. Actual customers of biodiesel. Companies that want to expand their investment in the business. This is a good sign. Many trade shows I have been to end up being alot of vendors talking to each other wondering where the real customers are. This is not the case here."

Reader Request: Rubber Fittings?

Here's another request for info, from a reader via email:

"I work for an oil company and we are thinking of producing biodiesel to blend into petrodiesel. I am worried by the issue of rubber damage but I cannot see anywhere whether this is only an issue with BD100 or if is happens at low blend concentrations. Would you or your readers know anything about this?"

From what I've heard/read, this is only a problem with natural-rubber fittings, and doesn't affect synthetic fittings. Definitely correct me if I'm wrong, though!

Please leave a comment if you've got any feedback — thanks!

Willie Nelson!

Wired News, Willie Nelson Bets on Biodiesel

"Nelson told The Associated Press in an interview last week that he began learning about the product a few years ago after his wife purchased a biodiesel-burning car in Hawaii, where the star has a home."

"'I got on the computer and punched in biodiesel and found out this could be the future,' said Nelson, who now uses the fuel for his cars and tour buses."

"Peter Bell, a Texas biodiesel supplier, struck up a friendship with Nelson after filling up one of the tour buses, and the business partnership came together just before Christmas..."

"'What Willie brings to this is the ability to communicate directly with a truck driver. That kind of community is hard for people to get to,' Bell said. 'When he starts talking, these folks really listen to him.... It's like having Tiger Woods talk about golf clubs.'"

[via Jason and Jason]