Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
3. Research Priorities
The cost, quality, and performance of biodiesel, as well as its overall environmental
profile, could be improved by further efforts in several areas. First, feedstocks other than
virgin plant oils, most of which are cultivated by non-sustainable, pesticide and energy
intensive agricultural practices, would ideally be explored and developed; alternatively,
sustainable cultivation of oil crops should be developed. Waste oil processing technology also
deserves developmental effort to allow recovery of its intrinsic energy, and microbial and
algal lipid production should be investigated to determine whether they might provide
feedstocks at lower cost.
Second, the further development of lipase technology will facilitate efficient enzymatic
transesterifications of feedstock oils and fats and production of benign wastes with easily-
recoverable coproducts, principally glycerol. Specifically, genetic engineering of lipases for
greater activity and durability, as well as metabolic engineering of lipase-production
pathways to understand lipase synthesis and regulation and to facilitate extracellular
production, are well-positioned to offer valuable advances in enzymatic transesterification of
oils and should be pursued. Research in these areas could have potentially great impacts
within relatively short timescales and should be encouraged to the greatest extent possible.
4. Commercialization
International commercialization of biodiesel is well underway in both the United States
and in many European and Asian countries. Recent news announcements by the U.S. National
Biodiesel Board, revealing the growing trend in adoption of biodiesel fuels even in this
country, include the following: the announcement on May 28, 2004, by World Energy
Alternatives LLC of the re-opening and upgrading of the largest multi-feedstock biodiesel
production facility in the United States, with a capacity of 18 million gallons, in Florida; the
opening of Canada's first retail biodiesel pump in Toronto by Topia Energy, Inc. on March 2,
2004; the opening of 10 biodiesel pumps in Denver, Colorado in May 2004 by Blue Sun
Biodiesel as part of a citywide pilot program; and the adoption of biodiesel for its
maintenance vehicles by the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in
Tennessee, joining dozens of other U.S. national parks [40].
Biodiesel is most readily available in B20, B50, and B100 blends, representing 20, 50,
and 100 percent biodiesel mixed with a balance of petroleum diesel, respectively. These fuels
are widely available in the United States, particularly in coastal areas and in midwest
agricultural regions (a current map of U.S. retail biodiesel locations is provided at
http://biodiesel.org/ buyingbiodiesel/retailfuelingsites/default.shtm/) and can be used in
conventional diesel engines such as those found in the Volkswagen Golf, Jetta, Jetta Wagon,
New Beetle, and 2004 Passat; 2004 Mercedes E-320 Sedan; 2004 Chrysler Jeep Liberty and
2004 Volkswagen Touareg SUV; Chevy Silverado; GMC Sierra; Dodge Ram; and Ford E-
series and F-series trucks.
Biodiesel production capacity exists and is expanding, and technology for storage and
usage is in place. The primary deterrent to even more widespread commercialization is simply
its price, which is increasingly comparable to petroleum diesel as oil prices rise and tax
incentives are enacted.
