The Future of Renewable Diesel

The production of biodiesel in America has seen some setback recently due to high feedstock prices and the decline of  diesel pump prices.  Typical stock for biodiesel production are vegetable oils, animal fat and waste vegetable oil (WVO).  WVO or fryer grease was once an item that cafe/restaurant owners had to pay to haul off.  Now we see WVO on commodity price indexes and is a highly sought product for biodiesel producers. 

Trouble is......biodiesel feedstock such as soybean oil is considered part of our food chain.  WVO is sold as an additive for animal feed products.  Demand for these materials has caused upward price pressure and also has caused profit margins to shrink to the point where producers are shutting production facilities.  Animal fat feedstock contains high free fatty acid content and require special treatment methods that yield lots of waste products. 

Other problems.....improperly cleaned or filtered biodiesel will cause fuel injector fouling.  Biodiesel acts as a natural solvent and will clean the entire fuel system to the point of clogging up fuel filters.  Biodiesel also has cold weathter issues.  While biodiesel is a good fit for sun belt states it has it has gelling problems up North in the winter.  Biodiesel will produce glycerin which is typically placed in landfills.