Origin and Use of Biodiesel

Biodiesel is, without a doubt, a good alternative to fuels such as oil. The oil that is extracted from plants, has been presented for different uses in recent years, which is why, John David Kaweske wants to talk about all of this below, in this post dedicated to the origin of biodiesel: uses and advantages.

THE ORIGIN OF BIODIESEL

Biodiesel began to become popularly known in the 1890s when German engineer Rudolf Diesel invented the well-known diesel engine that had an advantage over its gasoline counterpart, as it had the ability to run on fuels derived from a variety of sources, including vegetable oil. Already at the 1900 Paris Exposition, a diesel engine running on peanut oil was exhibited.

This engine was powered by biodiesel, which is the fuel produced by a process known as transesterification. By stimulating a chemical reaction in a vegetable oil, either from a specially developed crop or from commercial waste, the raw material is converted into a fuel that can power diesel engines. Animal fats can also be used in this process.

Palm oil, sunflower, canola, and soy are some of the most common raw materials for biodiesel. However, due to production costs, most biodiesel is currently produced from residual vegetable oil collected from restaurants, fast food outlets, and food manufacturers. Growing crops for biofuels is an industry with great potential, but current transesterification costs are a limiting factor for its expansion: residual vegetable oil is free and requires much less processing to convert to biodiesel.

In 2005, a year after moving to Sao Paolo, Brazil, John David Kaweske started his own company, Bio Clean Energy. This Biodiesel manufacturer is authorized by the Agencia Nacional de Petreleo, ANP. The company is one of a select group in Brazil that can sell direct to Petrobras, S.A. Bio Clean Energy utilizes proprietary technology to produce high-quality biodiesel for the Brazilian market as well as for export. It is one of the largest manufacturers of Biodiesel in Brazil.

Biodiesel and its use has grown quite a bit in recent years. In fact, as Mr. Kaweske explains, the industry prides itself on its careful approach to growth and its strong focus on sustainability. The biodiesel market increased from about 25 million gallons in the early 2000s to more than 2.8 billion gallons of advanced biofuel in 2016. Based on the projected availability of raw material, the industry has set a goal of producing around 10 percent of the diesel transportation market by 2022.

THE VARIOUS USES OF BIODIESEL

As the President of Bio Clean Energy, John David Kaweske pointed out, biodiesel is mainly used as fuel for cars, but the truth is that it has other uses such as:

TRANSPORT

More than 24% of the energy consumed worldwide is used for the transport of vehicles. This means that more than a third of the oil is used to operate vehicles. The main problem with alternatives is that solar, wind, and other types of energy is not practical for transportation. Clean energy experts believe that efficient advancements in practical technological advancements are still decades away. Therefore, biodiesel is a cleaner alternative to using oil as fuel.

ENERGY GENERATION

In addition to producing transportation fuel, biodiesel fuel cells have a power generation application that is available for electricity. Biodiesel can be used to generate power in backup systems where emissions are most important. This includes facilities such as schools, hospitals, and other forms located in residential areas.