English

Introduction The name "biodiesel" was introduced in the United States in 1992 by the National SoyDiesel Development Board (now the National Biodiesel Board), which has pioneered the commercialization of biodiesel in the U.S. Chemically, biodiesel is referred to as the mono alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from …

Very often, a broad, general description is used to define biodiesel in a way that is easy to understand by the general public. However, when these broad descriptions are adopted by an authoritative body as a formal definition, they can include a wide range of experimental fuels that are not …

The main benefits of biodiesel are increased energy self-sufficiency for importing countries, increased demand for domestic agricultural products, biodegradability and improved air quality, particularly lower sulphur emissions than from fossil fuels. Exhaust emission improvements include substantial reductions in carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and particulates, although the production of nitrogen gases is …

The major disadvantage of biodiesel is high production costs. Studies conducted when agricultural commodity prices were much lower than at present and petroleum prices were in the range of US$18 to $20 per barrel concluded that petroleum must rise to over US$40-$50 per barrel to make biodiesel production viable without …

Biodiesel in Europe Two factors have contributed to Europeís aggressive biodiesel industry expansion. First, in 1992, reform of the Common Agricultural Policy addressed European agricultural surpluses by idling some land used for food production through a set-aside policy. This policy, which provides a substantial subsidy to non-food crop production, stimulated …