Most producers sell ‘blended fuels,’ a mix of biodiesel and regular diesel. The most common blend is 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent regular, known as B20 fuel. B20 functions very similarly to regular diesel fuel.
"Preliminary results are that B20 biodiesel performs similarly to 100 percent diesel” Don Heck, coordinator of biotechnology and biofuels programs at Iowa Central Community College, told Agriculture Online. “We found a slight decrease in overall fuel efficiency for the B20 group of trucks, but it was not statistically significant. In fact, the difference was several times smaller than the driver-to-driver variability in fuel efficiency within each group."
The June 1st switch to ultra-low sulfur diesel (see Clean Diesel has Arrived at www.foleyservices.com) has caused motor carriers to assess their options. Many companies are using the change to re-evaluate what works best for their business. Biodiesel is currently more expensive than regular diesel. However, as it requires less foreign oil to make, the price is more stable. This benefits motor carriers as they are better able to budget for long periods of time, due to the decreased likelihood of a sudden price spike.
Patriotism also seems to be a major factor contributing to the rise of biodiesel. The tagline of BioTrucker, an online resource for biodiesel advocates, provided by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is “America’s Farmers Fueling America’s Truckers.” Trucking blogs are filled with patriotic comments from drivers, “I believe in biodiesel for security. I want to see American dollars go to American farmers rather than the Middle East," said trucker Brad Luce to BioTrucker.
Biodiesel is not a new technology. When Rudolf Diesel first demonstrated the compression ignition engine in the nineteenth century, it ran on peanut oil. This benefits motor carriers because they can continue to use their current fleets. Unlike other alternative fuels, using biodiesel will not require a major overhaul of fleets. Hydrogen, for example, requires a new engine and new fuel tanks. Biodiesel can, quite literally, be poured straight into the tank of any diesel truck.
Biodiesel can be produced in a variety of climates. Unlike crude oil, plant oils can come from a diverse range of crops and locations. In the U.S., soybean is the most commonly used crop. Palm is popular in South-East Asia and jatropha is popular in Australia and India.
Jatropha may be the future of American biodiesel. A hardy, poisonous plant, it will grow in many different climates. As it requires very little water, large, costly irrigation systems are not required. Currently, major companies, such as Daimler AG, are researching to see if its potential can be realized.
With any major change new problems arise. Biodiesel is a stronger solvent than regular diesel. As a result, oil deposits on the inside of old engines and fuel lines are stripped away. In the long-run, this is good as it cleans the engine and increases efficiency. However, when first used, biodiesel can wreak havoc on trucks; the oil deposits clog filters and fuel injectors. Even proponents of biodiesel, such as NBB, recommend that new users change their fuel filters frequently to prevent engine damage. Reports are also unclear regarding what the cost of frequently fixing clogged engines and filters will amount to.
While patriotism seems to be a good marketing tool, it is unknown how well biodiesel will compete with foreign oil. If foreign powers drop prices and stabilize relations with the U.S., biodiesel’s appeal may lose out to basic economics.
The source of biodiesel could also be problematic. Any crop would require a major investment in land. This could interrupt the food supply, driving prices higher. In countries such as Indonesia, where palm oil biodiesel is common, Biodiesel production has caused widespread deforestation. Furthermore, plants such as jatropha have not been grown as crops before. Harvest yields are not as reliably high as with long established crops such as wheat. Oil yields also vary greatly from plant to plant and the ideal growing conditions for high oil production have not been determined.
The future of biodiesel is uncertain. If companies are forced to increase costs in order to use biodiesel, it will probably not achieve widespread use. If major oil producing nations stabilize their relationships with the United States, the ‘patriotic’ marketing will likely fail. However, biodiesel does present an attractive option to the motor-carrier industry. It is, by itself, a good marketing strategy, making a motor carrier appear more patriotic and environmentally friendly. Also, if the price of foreign oil continues to be unstable, biodiesel may become the most stable, affordable fuel.
