Biodiesel is commercially available in most oilseed-producing states in the United States. As of 2023, it is less expensive than petroleum-diesel[1], though it is still commonly produced in relatively small quantities (in comparison to petroleum products and ethanol fuel).
The total U.S. production capacity for biodiesel reached 2.24billion US gallons per year (8.5×10^6m3/a) in 2007, although poor market conditions held 2007 production to about 450million US gallons (1.7×10^6m3), according to the National Biodiesel Board (NBB).[2]
In 2020, about 1.8 billion gallons of biodiesel were produced in the United States, with about 197 million gallons and 145 million gallons being imported and exported respectively.[3]
U.S. biodiesel production hit an all-time high in 2015, its second record-breaking year in a row. EPA statistics show production of 1.813 billion gallons in 2015, up from the previous record of 1.74 billion gallons in 2014.[4]
Feedstock development
A pilot project in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Alaska, is producing fish oil biodiesel from the local fish processing industry in conjunction with the University of Alaska Fairbanks. It is rarely economic to ship the fish oil elsewhere and Alaskan communities are heavily dependent on diesel power generation. The Alaskan Energy Authority factories project 8million US gallons (30×10^3m3) of fish oil annually.[5]
A doctoral student at Utah State University has initiated a program called FreeWays to Fuel, which is growing oilseed crops in previously unused municipal land such as highway rights of way. The student, Dallas Hanks, estimates that in the U.S., 10million acres (40,000km2) of such unused land exists—land which generally serves no other purpose and currently costs tax dollars to maintain. Early yields from the crops are promising, and the program has spread to other land-grant universities across the nation.[6]
Production
Imperium Renewables in Washington has the largest biodiesel production facility in the US, capable of making 100million US gallons per year (380×10^3m3/a).[7]
In 2006, Fuel Bio Opened the largest biodiesel manufacturing plant on the east coast of the United States in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Fuel Bio's operation is capable of producing a name plate capacity of 50million US gallons per year (190×10^3m3/a) of biodiesel.[8]
In 2008, ASTM published new Biodiesel Blend Specifications.[9]
In 2019, HollyFrontier announced plans to build a biodiesel plant in Artesia, NM. The facility is planned to have a capacity of 125 million gallons per year.
Commercialization
In 2005, U.S. entertainer Willie Nelson was selling B20 Biodiesel in four states under the name BioWillie. By late 2005 it was available at 13 gas stations and truck stops (mainly in Texas). Most purchasers were truck drivers. It was also used to fuel the buses and trucks for Mr. Nelson's tours as well as his personal automobiles.[10]
On October 16, 2006, the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan announced an agreement with local Western Michigan University's biodiesel R & D program to use the biodiesel research to build a 100thousand US gallons per year (380m3/a) production system at the city wastewater treatment plant, and convert the city bus system to run entirely off of the fuel. Its use of "trap grease" from the waste tanks of restaurants around the city may be the first of its kind in the US.[11]
Incentives
Tax credits
As of 2003, some tax credits were available in the U.S. for using biodiesel.
By state
Biodiesel retailers can be found in all states but Alaska, though all may not offer high percentage blends or B100.[12]
Minnesota
Then-Governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty signed a bill on May 12, 2008, that will require all diesel fuel sold in the state for use in internal compression engines to contain at least 20% biodiesel by May 1, 2015.[13]
In March 2002, the Minnesota State Legislature passed a bill which mandated that all diesel sold in the state must contain at least 2% biodiesel. The requirement took effect on June 30, 2005, and was the first biodiesel mandate in the US.[14]
Washington State
In March 2006, Washington became the second state to pass a 2% biodiesel mandate, with a start-date set for December 1, 2008.[15][16]
Biodiesel is a renewable biofuel, a form of diesel fuel, derived from biological sources like vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made from fats.
Willie Nelson Biodiesel is an American company started by singer-songwriter Willie Nelson, that produces biofuel under the brand name BioWillie. Nelson became interested in biofuels in 2004 after his wife bought a diesel car, which she fueled only with biodiesel. They were impressed by the efficiency and performance of the biofuels and their potential to end the dependence of the United States on foreign oil sources, as well as to provide the family farmers with work to produce it. The same year, he and his wife became partners with Bob and Kelly King in the building of two Biodiesel plants, one in Salem, Oregon and the other at Carl's Corner, Texas.
This article describes the use and availability of biodiesel in various countries around the world.
The United States became the world's largest producer of ethanol fuel in 2005. The U.S. produced 15.8 billion U.S. liquid gallons of ethanol fuel in 2019, and 13.9 billion U.S. liquid gallons in 2011, an increase from 13.2 billion U.S. liquid gallons in 2010, and up from 1.63 billion gallons in 2000. Brazil and U.S. production accounted for 87.1% of global production in 2011. In the U.S, ethanol fuel is mainly used as an oxygenate in gasoline in the form of low-level blends up to 10 percent, and, increasingly, as E85 fuel for flex-fuel vehicles. The U.S. government subsidizes ethanol production.
Biofuel development in India centres mainly around the cultivation and processing of Jatropha plant seeds, which are very rich in oil, ranging from 27 to 40%, and averaging 34.4%. The drivers for this are historic, functional, economic, environmental, moral and political.
The United States produces mainly biodiesel and ethanol fuel, which uses corn as the main feedstock. The US is the world's largest producer of ethanol, having produced nearly 16 billion gallons in 2017 alone. The United States, together with Brazil accounted for 85 percent of all ethanol production, with total world production of 27.05 billion gallons. Biodiesel is commercially available in most oilseed-producing states. As of 2005, it was somewhat more expensive than fossil diesel, though it is still commonly produced in relatively small quantities.
Renewable Fuels are fuels produced from renewable resources. Examples include: biofuels, Hydrogen fuel, and fully synthetic fuel produced from ambient carbon dioxide and water. This is in contrast to non-renewable fuels such as natural gas, LPG (propane), petroleum and other fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Renewable fuels can include fuels that are synthesized from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Renewable fuels have gained in popularity due to their sustainability, low contributions to the carbon cycle, and in some cases lower amounts of greenhouse gases. The geo-political ramifications of these fuels are also of interest, particularly to industrialized economies which desire independence from Middle Eastern oil.
Biofuel is fuel that is produced from organic matter (biomass), including plant materials and animal waste. It is considered a renewable source of energy that can assist in reducing carbon emissions. The two main types of biofuel currently being produced in Australia are biodiesel and bioethanol, used as replacements for diesel and petrol (gasoline) respectively. As of 2017 Australia is a relatively small producer of biofuels, accounting for 0.2% of world bioethanol production and 0.1% of world biodiesel production.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, originally named the Clean Energy Act of 2007, is an Act of Congress concerning the energy policy of the United States. As part of the Democratic Party's 100-Hour Plan during the 110th Congress, it was introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Representative Nick Rahall of West Virginia, along with 198 cosponsors. Even though Rahall was 1 of only 4 Democrats to oppose the final bill, it passed in the House without amendment in January 2007. When the Act was introduced in the Senate in June 2007, it was combined with Senate Bill S. 1419: Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007. This amended version passed the Senate on June 21, 2007. After further amendments and negotiation between the House and Senate, a revised bill passed both houses on December 18, 2007 and President Bush, a Republican, signed it into law on December 19, 2007, in response to his "Twenty in Ten" challenge to reduce gasoline consumption by 20% in 10 years.
Vegetable oils are increasingly used as a substitute for fossil fuels. Vegetable oils are the basis of biodiesel, which can be used like conventional diesel. Some vegetable oil blends are used in unmodified vehicles, but straight vegetable oil often needs specially prepared vehicles which have a method of heating the oil to reduce its viscosity and surface tension, sometimes specially made injector nozzles, increased injection pressure and stronger glow-plugs, in addition to fuel pre-heating is used. Another alternative is vegetable oil refining.
Grays Harbor Biodiesel Plant is the second largest biodiesel production facility in the United States, with an annual capacity of 100 million US gallons (380,000 m3) per year. The facility is sited on a 12-acre (49,000 m2) parcel of land at the Port of Grays Harbor, Washington.
Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) is a biofuel made by the hydrocracking or hydrogenation of vegetable oil. Hydrocracking breaks big molecules into smaller ones using hydrogen while hydrogenation adds hydrogen to molecules. These methods can be used to create substitutes for gasoline, diesel, propane, kerosene and other chemical feedstock. Diesel fuel produced from these sources is known as green diesel or renewable diesel.
Biogasoline is a type of gasoline produced from biomass such as algae. Like traditionally produced gasoline, it is made up of hydrocarbons with 6 (hexane) to 12 (dodecane) carbon atoms per molecule and can be used in internal combustion engines. However, unlike traditional gasoline/petroleum based fuels, which are mainly composed from oil, biogasolines are made from plants such as beets and sugarcane or cellulosic biomass- substances normally referred to as plant waste.
The biofuel sector in the United Kingdom, under the auspices of the government's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), has been progressing towards enhanced sustainable energy solutions. Marking a significant stride in this direction was the government's endorsement and introduction of E10 biofuel in late 2021. This fuel blend, consisting of 90% regular unleaded gasoline and 10% ethanol, was introduced as part of an initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from transport fuels. The introduction of E10 led to a shift in the renewable fuel landscape in the UK, particularly influencing an increase in the utilization of non-waste feedstocks. In the year 2022, the biofuel sector, as per government reports, achieved a reduction in GHG emissions by 82% in comparison to traditional fossil fuels.
Food versus fuel is the dilemma regarding the risk of diverting farmland or crops for biofuels production to the detriment of the food supply. The biofuel and food price debate involves wide-ranging views, and is a long-standing, controversial one in the literature. There is disagreement about the significance of the issue, what is causing it, and what can or should be done to remedy the situation. This complexity and uncertainty is due to the large number of impacts and feedback loops that can positively or negatively affect the price system. Moreover, the relative strengths of these positive and negative impacts vary in the short and long terms, and involve delayed effects. The academic side of the debate is also blurred by the use of different economic models and competing forms of statistical analysis.
An aviation biofuel is a biofuel used to power aircraft and is said to be a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The International Air Transport Association (IATA) considers it a key element in reducing the carbon footprint within the environmental impact of aviation. Aviation biofuel could help decarbonize medium- and long-haul air travel generating most emissions, and could extend the life of older aircraft types by lowering their carbon footprint. The jargon synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) refers to any non-petroleum-based fuel designed to replace kerosene jet fuel, which is often, but not always, made from biomass.
Biodiesel has a number of standards for its quality.
The use of biofuels varies by region. The world leaders in biofuel development and use are Brazil, United States, France, Sweden and Germany.
Bio-Blend Fuels Inc. is a company producing bio-diesel from various materials including beef tallow and vegetable oil. They are based in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and have an annual capacity of 2.6 million US gallons. The company is notable for producing bio-diesel from pig fat recovered from commercial bacon production facilities.
United States policy in regard to biofuels, such as ethanol fuel and biodiesel, began in the early 1990s as the government began looking more intensely at biofuels as a way to reduce dependence on foreign oil and increase the nation's overall sustainability. Since then, biofuel policies have been refined, focused on getting the most efficient fuels commercially available, creating fuels that can compete with petroleum-based fuels, and ensuring that the agricultural industry can support and sustain the use of biofuels.
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