Biodiesel
"The use of vegetable oils for engine fuel may seem insignificant today, but such oils may become, in the course of time as important as petroleum"
Rudolf Diesel 1912 inventor of the Diesel Engine.
Rudolph Diesel designed his diesel engine to run on a variety of fuels, the first engine he exhibited ran on Peanut Oil. Unfortunately following his untimely death, the by-products of petroleum distillation were named 'Diesel Fuel' and the versatility of the diesel engine was lost in history along with the benefits until now, when concerns over climate change and the price of petroleum diesel have risen to such highs that it makes sense to go back to basics. There are a number of 'green' fuels out there and for diesel engines the best environmentally friendly alternative is biodiesel:
Making biodiesel is a fairly simple process. The vegetable oil or animal fat is reacted with methanol and a catalyst, such as sodium hydroxide, to produce a methyl ester - the biodiesel. The methanol and the catalyst used in the process are recovered and can be re-used. The by-product of biodiesel production is glycerine, which can be used for other purposes such as the making of soap.
Because of the varying quality of biodiesel the following information should be used for reference rather than absolute fact.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) Every tonne of fossil fuel that is burnt adds some three tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere, together with a further half tonne generated during manufacture. (Total - 3.63 tonnes, (Austrian Biofuels Institute, Feb. 1998). Biodiesel emits less CO2 than the crop has absorbed during growth - the balance being locked up in solid by-products.
Sulphur oxides (SOx) every tonne of fossil fuel that is burnt adds 180 kg of sulphur oxides to the atmosphere, causing irritation to the respiratory system and adding to the formation of acid rain. Biodiesel contains no sulphur, other than any, which may be absorbed from the (polluted) atmosphere or from field dressings applied during growth.
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) every tonne of fossil fuel that is burnt adds 100 kg of nitrogen oxides to the atmosphere, causing irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract. As well as forming acid rain. Conflicting test results on biodiesel have been reached, the worst scenario being presented by ETSU (Energy Technology Support Unit). According to all other reports, NOx reductions of 5% to 10% can be achieved.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) Every tonne of fossil fuel that is burnt adds 500 kg of carbon monoxide to the atmosphere, which restricts the ability of the blood to absorb oxygen. It is therefore a poisonous gas, the advantage of biodiesel is that it contains additional (11%) oxygen molecules, which improve the burning efficiency of the fuel. This inhibits the production of monoxides, resulting in a 10% to 20% reduction in emissions.
Particulate matter (PM) Every tonne of fossil fuel that is burnt adds 85 kg of solid particles to the atmosphere in the form of solid carbon soot, around which form the carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons which are conveyed to the lung tissue by the air we breathe. Studies carried out into the emission of PM show that biodiesel emits between 25% and 80% less than fossil diesel.
Writing from purely a personal point of view one of the main driving forces behind Midas, as a company, using biodiesel, was the ability to turn a waste product (in our case waste vegetable oil destined for land fill) process that product into a reliable fuel and burn it in our fleet of machinery, therefore producing as near as possible carbon neutral electric. We have as a company looked at virgin Rapeseed oil and continue to do so; we do not condone the use of Palm oil. At no point do we claim to have found a solution, having been involved in the renewable energy market for the last eight years it is our belief there is no 'one' solution that will solve supposed energy supply issues in the future. Rather an amalgamation of many.
Energy Audit Certificate
By definition the majority of our clients appoint Midas because of our use of biofuels in power generation and the resulting benefits of reduced harmful emissions. But how could those benefits be measured, quantified and the resulting data used and displayed? The answer, was the Midas Energy Audit Certificate.
It was listening to feedback and comments from many of our clients that inspired our Energy Audit Certificate initiative. Launched at The Outdoor Event Services Exhibition (The Showmans Show) in October 2006, it's simplicity itself. A framed certificate, bespoke to each client, detailing the fuel burnt to supply the energy required and the subsequent savings in Carbon emissions. Client take up on this initiative has been high and the feedback extremely positive. To learn more about this service and how it could benefit your event, please contact us via the contact page of this site.
