Biodiesel current consumption

At current oil crop production levels and fuel consumption rates, biodiesel is unlikely to replace more than a very small portion of total diesel fuel consumed globally (1). However, biodiesel has many potential niche markets where its low toxicity and improved emissions can provide value that outweighs the added costs of using this fuel. Toxicity and biodegradability tests have determined that biodiesel is a... 

Soybean is the oilseed with the greatest production on a worldwide basis. Production of soybeans is increasing and is expected to continue to increase as demand for soybean oil for human consumption and biodiesel and demand for high-protein meal for animal feed grows in both developed and developing countries. Currently the United States is the largest producer of soybeans followed by Brazil, Argentina, and China (USDA—FAS, 2007). Table 2.1 shows the most recent data on world supply. 

Various biodiesel blends, which include different ratios of biodiesel and diesel from crude oil, can be used in vehicles depending upon the vehicle s requirement and weather conditions. A 20% biodiesel will provide a higher octane rating, superior lubricity, significant emission reductions, and less toxic emissions will virtually eliminate visible soot emissions and will have similar fuel consumption, horsepower, and torque. Premium biodiesel is a fuel manufactured from vegetable oils by a transesterification process. Soybean oil is currently the leading source of vegetable oil for biodiesel manufacture in the United States. 

The use of methanol offers the best results in the trans-esterification of oils and fats. Compared with other alcohols, methanol requires shorter reaction times and smaller catalyst amounts and alcohol/oil molar ratios [10,12,15,16,51,52]. These advantages lead to reduced consumption of steam, heat, water, and electricity, and use of smaller processing equipment to produce the same amount of biodiesel. Biodiesel applications continue to expand. Thus, in addition to its use as fuel, biodiesel has been employed in the synthesis of resins, polymers, emulsifiers, and lubricants [53-64]. Concerning the range of applications, new biodiesel production processes should be considered as alternatives to the production based on methanol. Currently, methanol is primarily produced from fossil matter. Due to its high toxicity, methanol may cause cancer and blindness in humans, if they are overexposed to it. Methanol traces are not desired in food and other products for human consumption [15]. In contrast, ethanol emerges as an excellent alternative to methanol as it is mainly produced from biomass, is easily metabolized by humans, and generates stable fatty acid esters. Additionally, fatty acid ester production with ethanol requires shorter reaction times and smaller amounts of alcohol and catalyst compared to the other alcohols, except methanol, used in transesterification processes [11,15,16]. 

The Directive 2009/28/EC also promotes biodiversity protection of threatened species in those lands where biodiesel and bioliquid production would have negative impacts on flora and fauna. Raw materials used in biodiesel and bioliquid production should therefore achieve the status of sustainable, by competent bodies, before being processed. In the longer term, the 2007 Renewable Energy Road Map (European Commission, 2007) specifies the adoption of a minimum 10% consumption of biofuels in the transport sector. Biofuels use in the transport sector would contribute to 14% of total market fuels (corresponding to about 43 million tons of Equivalent Oil) and the share may increase from either current bio—ethanol production in Sweden or biodiesel production in Germany and other European Union countries or other feedstock such as ethanol from straw, rapeseed oil, palm oil, and second-generation biofuels mainly obtained from wood processes (De Lucia, 2010). 

In the United States, for instance. Volumetric Excise Tax Credits for the blending of fuel ethanol and biodiesel are being provided to biofuel producers under the American Jobs Creation Act since 2004. In the European Union, the Energy Taxation Directive permits exemptions or reductions from energy taxation for biofuels (Directive 2003/96/EC). Currently, nearly all EU member states (with the exception of Finland and the Netherlands) provide partial or total tax exemptions or deduction, most aimed at hnal consumption (European Commission, 2011). Because the tax exemption has an upper bound equal to the acmal level of the fossil fuel tax, the instrument has proven to be highly effective in those EU member states with fossil fuel tax levels high enough to compensate for the additional production costs of biofuels (Wiesenthal et al., 2009). 

---