Benefits of Biodiesel

The Importance Of Biodiesel: Benefits and Uses

Biodiesel is a versatile fuel that can provide benefits to help fleet performance including lower lifecycle carbon emissions.  As a renewable fuel alternative to traditional diesel, biodiesel production can use a variety of feedstocks, such as excess or waste fats and oils from plants and animals. One of the benefits of biodiesel is that incorporating a lower carbon intensity fuel solution into your fleets can help your business work toward lifecycle carbon emissions targets and help improve engine performance.

How Does Biodiesel Work?

Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable fuel that is often plant-based. The biodiesel production process utilizes a variety of feedstocks, including canola oil, bleachable fancy tallow, tech tallow, yellow grease, distillers corn oil, choice white grease, poultry fat, used cooking oil (UCO), soybean oil, camelina and others.

Biodiesel is a drop-in fuel that can be used in most existing diesel vehicles and fueling infrastructure.

Thanks to biodiesel production, fleets in many segments are running millions of miles year-round using biodiesel.

What Is The Difference Between Biodiesel and Diesel? 

Biodiesel is made from organic materials like vegetable oils, animal fats or UCO, while diesel is produced from petroleum, a non-renewable fossil fuel. One of the advantages of biodiesel is that it can be used in most existing diesel vehicles and fueling infrastructure, giving diesel fleets a solution for lowering lifecycle carbon emissions quickly. Compared with petroleum diesel, biodiesel can also help increase engine performance through higher Cetane, added lubricity and a lower carbon burn that puts less stress on diesel particulate filters. Switching to lower carbon intensity alternatives like biodiesel can help fleets lower lifecycle carbon emissions and Scope 1 emissions that result directly from the operation of their machinery.

Understanding Biodiesel Benefits

Many industries can benefit from the advantages of biodiesel. Key benefits:

Year-Round Fuel

One of the benefits of biodiesel is that it can be a year-round solution to help meet your targets. Trucks and other vehicles have driven below 32F (0° C) on high blends of biodiesel, including B100. It’s important to know the fuel’s cloud point, and proper storage and handling can help fleets run confidently on biodiesel blends in the winter while continuing to provide positive environmental benefits, such as reduce lifecycle carbon emissions.

High Engine Performance For Lower Lifecycle Carbon Emissions

The oxygen in a biodiesel molecule can help combustion be more complete. When combustion is more complete, there is less carbon monoxide, lower hydrocarbon emissions and lower particulate matter emissions.

Fleets using biodiesel report fewer issues with diesel particulate filters in Tier 4 engines. Plus, blends up to B20 can provide similar horsepower, torque and fuel mileage in diesel engines.

Enhanced Lubricity

The process of creating Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) involves removal of the sulfur in diesel fuel, resulting in a reduction in the lubricity of the fuel. Blending as little as 2% biodiesel replaces that lubricity which helps performance. Modern diesel engines rely on fuel to aid in the lubricating process and provide protection against wear and damage. Proper lubricity management can also help engines run smoother, cooler and more quietly.

Flexible Biodiesel Feedstocks

High-quality biodiesel can be made out of a variety of feedstocks. A feedstock-flexible approach allows producers to capture the best characteristics of different feedstocks – meaning there is no one “best” feedstock. The importance for biodiesel in having feedstock flexibility is that it can help to positively affect finished fuel price when other feedstocks increase in price.

Easy to Use

The importance of biodiesel blends up to B20 is that they are drop-in fuels, meaning they typically require no modifications to fueling infrastructure or engines.

Biodiesel can be blended at virtually any level with petroleum diesel and renewable diesel.

OEM Warranties Support Biodiesel Production

Biodiesel is manufactured to the ASTM D6751 specification – which is supported by most OEMs.

The use of biodiesel in Cummins North American on-highway engines has been approved for use in past, present and even future products. Biodiesel blends up to B20 have been approved for use in Cummins engines dating back to 2007.

Interested In The Advantages Of Biodiesel For Your Fleets?

Learn how we can help with seamless integration of biodiesel into your fleets. Adopting alternatives to traditional fuels goes beyond meeting environmental regulations—it’s a strategic opportunity to gain a competitive edge and potentially boost your bottom line. Sign up to get more information and learn how our expertise can help our customers ease into the transition with lower carbon intensity fuel solutions.