Bio-curious? Experiment with biofuel

Converting to a car biodiesel may sound difficult to some, raising questions about the practicality of its effect on the environment, but it can actually be as easy as purchasing a diesel automobile and filling the tank with biodiesel.

What is it?

Biodiesel, simply put, is diesel fuel most commonly made from a vegetable-oil base instead of a petroleum base. Almost any diesel car can use biodiesel instead of the fuel sold at most gas stations. Most newer diesel cars will adapt to biodiesel without any problems, needing only minor modifications.

Many different vegetable-oil bases can be used to create the fuel, such as soy or canola oil. Leftover vegetable oils used for deep-frying can be recycled into the fuel as well. The increasing popularity of biodiesel processing has led many local businesses to start selling or donating their used cooking oil to regional biodiesel manufacturers.

Portland local John Reinhold, who owns and maintains pdxbiodiesel.org, has been using biodiesel regularly for a little over four years. He said that when he initially began using biofuel, the topic was less in the public spotlight and the fuel was much harder to track down than it is now.

The cost of going green

The average price of gasoline for the week of Jan. 21 was $3.12 per gallon on the West Coast, compared with an average of $3.45 per gallon for biodiesel, according to a report released by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Local biodiesel retail supplier Jay’s Garage reported that the price of their 99-percent blend was $5.12 per gallon this week, compared with the downtown Burnside Chevron’s reported price per gallon of regular fuel at $3.99 ($4.21 for premium).

It is true that being environmentally friendly can cost an extra buck, but the state of Oregon does give biodiesel uses a break. For those who save their receipts on purchases of 85- or 99-percent blend biofuel, Oregon gives a tax credit of 50 cents per gallon (up to $200 per year), which helps close the price gap.

Additionally, Reinhold said that the price of biodiesel should go down as more people start purchasing it and more local suppliers start selling the fuel at the retail level.

Being certain a car can take biodiesel

For anyone interested in using biodiesel, there are a few things to keep in mind.

If a diesel car is older, the owner should double check the type of fuel line the car has. If the car has a natural rubber line, it will degrade faster with biodiesel because of the solvent properties of the fuel.

The line will need to be replaced with a modern fluorinated plastic line that is immune to the effects of biodiesel, according to Alexander Rose, a contributor to the technology blog Cool Tools. It might also be a good idea to switch the car’s fuel filters shortly after switching fuel types.

The global debate about biofuel

Time magazine, and many people worldwide, has waged complaints against biofuel because it uses crops that could instead be used to feed people. According to Time, biofuel is “diverting grain and oilseed crops from dinner plates to fuel tanks.” Last autumn, Jean Ziegler, a specialist working in the United Nations and focusing on hunger issues, expressed similar sentiments, denouncing biofuel crop production as “a crime against humanity.”

“There is a lost of controversy over biofuels and their benefits,” Reinhold said. “If you make biofuels the worst way, which is with corn and soybeans, it won’t help a whole lot.”

However, Reinhold said there are plenty of crops that can be used to create biofuel, such as canola, without impacting the world’s food supply.

Local biodiesel processor SeQuential said their processing plant in Salem can generate approximately 1 million gallons of biodiesel per year. They primarily use cooking oil collected in partnership with local businesses such as Kettle Foods, and secondary oils such as canola seed oil.

Where to buy biofuel in Portland

Jay’s Garage734 S.E. Seventh Ave.

Mr. Car Wash510 S.E. Grand Ave.

SeQuential Biofuels Station11330 N.W. St. Helens Road

Leather’s Fuels18145 S.E. Division St.

For additional locations, information and an interactive map, visit www.pdxbiodiesel.org.