Why dont petrol stations sell biodiesel?

Question

Im in the UK btw. and i have never seen biodiesel anywhere in the UK. I dont know about in the US, but in the UK we have to pay road tax which is supposed to pay for road maintainance. tax on fuel seems to be some sort of punishment for polluting the air:S

Answer 1

I currently run Bio Fuel (straight vegetable) in a 1999 Dodge 3500 truck. But all Cummins engines were modified from the factory to run on BioD since around 1992 without any modification.

Biofuel is recognized by both the US Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy as an alternative fuel, and qualifies for mandated programs under the Clean Air Act Amendments and the Environmental Protection Act of 1992 (EPAct).

USDA Clears Air with Biofuel: Buses and other diesel-burning vehicles run cleaner if they mix biofuel with regular diesel fuel, said the US Department of Agriculture at a biofuel fuel seminar at a USDA research center.

Conversely most major automotive manufacturers (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, etc) recommend the use of bio fuels, and nearly every car manufacturer in the world approves ethanol blends in their warranty coverage.

In fact your probably even driving an ethanol car and didn't even know it.

The trick is finding fuel.

I've been producing biofuel for about 3 years now, it's not extremely difficult. Basically you need general household ingredients, a processor (or still for ethanol) and some used oil. Blend it, let separate, screen and use. I complied a guide a while back to help walk you threw the process step by step, just email me or check out..

http://www.agua-luna.com/guides.html

• 1 liter of new vegetable oil, whatever the supermarket sells as cooking oil

• 200 ml of methanol, 99+% pure

• lye catalyst -- either potassium hydroxide (KOH) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH)

• blender or mini-processor

• scales accurate to 0.1 grams, preferably less -- 0.01 grams is best

• measuring beakers for methanol and oil

• half-liter translucent white HDPE (#2 plastic) container with bung and s***w-on cap

• 2 funnels to fit the HDPE container

• 2-litre PET bottle (water or soft-drinks bottle) for settling

• two 2-litre PET bottles for washing

• duct tape

• thermometer

Use the "Methoxide the easy way" method -- it's also the safe way. Here's how to do it.

Measure out 200 ml of methanol and pour it into the half-liter HDPE container via the funnel. Methanol also absorbs water from the atmosphere so do it quickly and replace the lid of the methanol container tightly. Don't be too frightened of methanol, if you're working at ordinary room temperature and you keep it at arm's length you won't be exposed to dangerous fumes.

Carefully add the lye to the HDPE container via the second funnel. Replace the bung and the s***w on the cap tightly.

Shake the container a few times -- swirl it round rather than shaking it up and down. The mixture gets hot from the reaction. If you swirl it thoroughly for a minute or so five or six times over a period of time the lye will completely dissolve in the methanol, forming sodium methoxide or potassium methoxide. As soon as the liquid is clear with no undissolved particles you can begin the process.

The more you swirl the container the faster the lye will dissolve. With NaOH it can take from overnight to a few hours to as little as half-an-hour with lots of swirling (but don't be impatient, wait for ALL the lye to dissolve). Mixing KOH is much faster, it dissolves in the methanol more easily than NaOH and can be ready for use in 10 minutes.

Using a blender. Use a spare blender you don't need or get a cheap secondhand one -- cheap because it might not last very long, but it will get you going until you build something better.

Check that the blender seals are in good order. Make sure all parts of the blender are clean and dry and that the blender components are tightly fitted.

Pre-heat the oil to 55 deg C (130 deg F) and pour it into the blender.

With the blender still switched off, carefully pour the prepared methoxide from the HDPE container into the oil.

Secure the blender lid tightly and switch on. Lower speeds should be enough. Blend for at least 20 minutes.

Using a mini-processor. Follow the instructions below and improvise where necessary -- there are many ways of building a processor like this.

Proceed with processing as above, maintain temperature at 55 deg C (130 deg F), process for one hour.

www AGUA-LUNA com

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at  www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin

Alterative Energy / Sustainable Consultant, Living 100% on Alternative & Author of How One Simple Yet Incredibly Powerful Resource Is Transforming The Lives of Regular People From All Over The World... Instantly Elevating Their Income & Lowering Their Debt, While Saving The Environment by Using FREE ENERGY... All With Just One Click of A Mouse...For more info Visit:  

www AGUA-LUNA com

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Answer 2

Hi !

In Germany, all of them do.

Biodiesel is largely available for already over a decade.

BUT... in the EU, most of the biodiesel is now blended to regular diesel in order to increase the viscosity and reach a better motor lubrication (which improves the efficiency and increases the lifespan of the motor). The rate is something like 5%.

Answer 3

Some petrol stations do sell biodiesel.  Ever heard of BioWillie?  It's a fuel stop chain that sells biodiesel.  BTW, biodiesel is taxed just like normal petrol (it IS a road use tax, after all).  The reason you don't see biodiesel at every station is, of course, that there just isn't enough production to do that.

http://www.biowillieusa.com/

Oh, and here's a map of all the places in the US that sell biodiesel retail.

http://www.biodiesel.org/buyingbiodiesel...

And lots of places in other countries produce and sell biodiesel,

http://www.worldenergy.net/public_inform...

Biodiesel is also sometimes blended with ultra-low sulfur diesel to lessen some lubrication and solvent issues, but the end product is predominantly crude oil based.

edit -- In the UK then... OK look at this link for biodiesel retail outlets:

http://www.biodieselfillingstations.co.u...

As for motor fuel taxes:  In the UK, they pay for both road maintenance, and serve as a motor vehicle deterrent.  Of course, you also pay 17.5% value added tax (a.k.a. sales or use tax).  Biodiesel does get hit with a slightly lower duty than crude-based petrol.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/worl...

http://www.petrolprices.com/fuel-tax.htm...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_ta...