Biodiesel

Manufacture

Performances compared with the other fuels

Compared to the biodiesel, plant oils have a more important viscosity (up to 10 times more), a weaker Indice of cetane, and a temperature of higher solidification.

The pétrodiesel has a better viscosity (until twice less) and is less corrosive than the biodiesel. The pure biodiesel degrades the natural rubber and for this reason, it is advisable to check the quality of the joints if one wants to use pure biodiesel.

In mixture up to 30% with the pétrogazole, the diester French does not present any problem.

Environmental impact

The principal interest asserted by the biodiesel is not to be a fossil energy and to provide a renewable energy (the raw Plant oil) very little contributing to the increase in the rate of CO₂ present in the atmosphere.
Indeed, in theory, the plant (Colza generally, but the process is applicable to all oils), during its growth, consumes by Photosynthèse the same quantity of carbon dioxide that the combustion of the fuel will release. However, for controlling well the ecological value of a fuel, it is necessary to take into account its écobilan, and thus all its manufacturing process, including the culture and its inputs, the ecological Empreinte and the Energy efficiency of the processes of transformation and transport of the producer to the ultimate consumer and to make the total energy assessment. The biodiesel requires an energy contribution to accelerate the process of esterification and must be treated in refineries specialized before being delivered to the consumers, which weighs down its Energy efficiency considerably in particular vis-a-vis the Plant oil carburizing. The biodiesel alone is not-powerful bus it has only 40 point on the octane level.

Some underline risk which were not initially taken into account: one would not have that the production of biocarburants is done at the price of a massive deforestation as in Brazil, which, contrary to the sought effect, would increase the gas emissions with greenhouse effect. Moreover, cultivated spaces deprive the countries of grounds for food agriculture, while raising the prices of cereals or food corn.

The market of the biodiesel

The largest producers of biodiesel are the the United States, the Germany and the France. The department of the energy of the government of the United States published several documents on the biodiesel. The United States supports also research in this field via the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In Belgium, biodiesel is produced with Ertvelde (by Oléon) and with Feluy (by Biofuel.be).

The production is relatively weak (lower than the million tons in France in 2004) compared to the consumption of diesel.
Le biodiesel thus remains used marginally, mixes some by the fuel merchants, the more so as it belongs to the gazoles suitable for solidify at too low temperature. The B20/B-20 or BD20 is a containing hydrocarbon diesel containing 20% of biodiesel and 80% of Gazole, B40 contains 40%, etc

In 2007 the Brazil and Argentina (where Colza GMO strongly developed) aim at the European market. Three production units were inaugurated the eight first month of the year in Argentina, whose factory of the oil mill Cincentin (24 000 tonnes/an) and 5 others are in the course of construction. Argentina could thus pass from mid 200.000t/an 2007 to 1 million t/an in 2008.

The negative and positive effects of the biodiesel (real or supposed) are numerous:

the die biodiesel competition and embarrassment the oil industry, which thus seeks to control it;
biodiesel remains industrial product, whereas the raw plant oils could, after filtering thorough (1 µm with 5 µm) and neutralization (they are acid what is not very compatible with the oil of draining which is alkaline), being directly injected into a diesel engine (often not very sensitive to the fuel used, but not in all the cars diesel nor under any conditions);
in certain countries the biodiesel is manufactured starting from goods with food vocation. In France, the profitability of the die rests on the production of Colza on pieces called in “industrial fallow” at a low price to the market price of the food Colza. The rate of fallow imposed by the European agricultural policy fell of 15% in the years 1990 to 5% in 2004 for finally being removed in 2007, weakening all the balance of the die; Dieser industry announced in August 2007 in France that it was going to propose multiannual contracts to increase its purchase price of 20 euros/t for fidéliser the farmers who are likely to plant cultures more profitable than agrocarburants.

the biodiesel is more expensive than the Gazole, it thus needs a “tax incentive”, in the form of an important desfiscalisation (80% of exemption of TIPP). The desfiscalisation of the “ecological” fuels is a source of controversies, though partly fixed by the European directive 2003/96/CE as regards the European countries;
the industrial production of Colza is often described as “productivist”;
some put forward the technical differences with the Gazole. However, this type of criticism appears founded neither with the use nor being studied.

The French Diester

In France, one also speaks about Diester ® . The diester , Portemanteau word formed by the diesel contraction of and Ester , is a registered trademark by Sofiproteol.

It is also a term become common to indicate in France, the methyl esters of plant oils (EMHV), the biodiesel in Europe and North America.

France produces each year approximately 300.000 tons of diester, that is to say hardly 1% of the consumed fuel.

In France, this fuel is mixed with the traditional diesel with small percentage without specific indication.

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