The Benefits of Biodiesel Fuel

Health & Safety Benefits

• Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have completed the rigorous health affects testing required by the Clean Air Act. Results show that biodiesel poses less of a risk to human health than petroleum diesel by reducing particulate matter by 47 percent.
• Scientific research shows that biodiesel exhaust contains decreased levels of air toxins identified as potential cancer-causing agents by 80 percent.  
• Exhaust odor is less offensive since it is oxygenated and reduces eye and lung irritation, asthma attacks and headaches for machine and automotive workers and both drivers and passengers of school busses and ambulances.
• Bidiesel is safer to use, handle and store than petroleum diesel because it must reach at least 260 degrees to ignite, versus about 125 degrees for regular diesel.

Equipment Benefits

• Biodiesel increases the lubricity of fuel, which leads to longer engine life, lower maintenance costs, less equipment downtime and protection against fuel injector failure.
• Biodiesel is a cleaning agent that can reduce particulate, gum and varnish buildup in engine parts, leading to clogged filters and keep fuel lines clear.
• Biodiesel offers the almost the same BTU content as number two diesel fuel.
• No new equipment or additional parts are needed when biodiesel is used. Fleets can keep spare parts, inventory, current vehicles and fueling infrastructures.
• The same storage system/tanks can be used for Biodiesel fuel as for traditional petroleum.

Economic Benefits

• It can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend and used in diesel engines with little or no modifications with the same payload capacity and range of traditional diesel.
• With the lower sulfur emissions standards going into affect in 2007, Biodiesel fuel is the lowest cost alternative fuel available.
• Because use of Biodiesel does not require major engine modifications, operators keep their fleets, spare parts inventories, refueling stations and skilled mechanics. Only the air quality changes!
• Since it is made in the USA from renewable resources such as soybeans, its use decreases our dependence on foreign oil and contributes to the growth of our own economy.

Environmental Benefits

• Biodiesel fuel is better for the environment because it is made from renewable resources It has lower emissions, such as unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter (ozone and fog forming agents) compared with petroleum diesel and eliminates emissions of sulfur oxides and sulfates (major components of acid rain) completely.
• Biodiesel fuel can help mitigate global warming as show in a study jointly sponsored by the US Department of Energy and US Department of Agriculture, which showed it reduced CO2 emissions by 78 percent.
• It is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar.
• Biodiesel fuel helps us to conserve domestic energy security. For every unit of fossil fuel it takes to make biodiesel, 3.2 units of energy are gained, so our energy reserves are extended instead of depleted.