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Benefits

Biodiesel offers a number of significant benefits

  • Biodiesel improves our energy independence: Our biodiesel is made from domestic resources grown on farms in our region. Using biodiesel reduces our dependence on foreign oil.
  • Biodiesel dramatically lowers harmful emissions: Biodiesel eliminates the sulfur emissions that cause acid rain, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 78 percent, and cuts asthma-causing particulate matter in half.
  • Biodiesel helps local farmers: We use soybean oil that comes from the crops grown by regional farmers. By using biodiesel you help support family farms in your area.

  • Biodiesel is better for your engine: Biodiesel has substantially better lubricity, so it reduces the wear and tear on engines. Biodiesel can therefore counter the negative effects caused by using the newly mandated ultra-low sulfur diesel.

Domestic Fuel Source:

Using biodiesel promotes American independence from foreign oil sources. With current technology biodiesel has the potential to replace 2 billion gallons of foreign oil each year. And since biodiesel comes from vegetable oil, the increased use of biodiesel boosts the demand for soy, rapeseed, and other oil-producing vegetables.

Environmentally Friendly:

Using biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine substantially reduces unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter compared to emissions from diesel fuel. In addition, the exhaust emissions of sulfur oxides and sulfates (major components of acid rain) from biodiesel are essentially eliminated compared to diesel. Emissions of nitrogen oxides are either slightly reduced or slightly increased depending on the duty cycle of the engine and testing methods used. Based on engine testing, the overall ozone (smog) forming potential of the hydrocarbon exhaust emissions from biodiesel is nearly 50 percent less than that measured for diesel fuel.

Improves our public health:

Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act. Scientific research confirms that biodiesel exhaust has a less harmful impact on human health than petroleum diesel fuel. Pure biodiesel emissions have decreased levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and nitrited PAH compounds that have been identified as potential cancer causing compounds. Also, particulate matter, an emission linked to asthma and other diseases, is reduced by about 47 percent, and carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas, is reduced by about 48 percent.

Safer for your engine:

New government regulations require that diesel consumers use ultra low-sulfur diesel. Such fuels have low lubricity and typically result in a rough running engine. Despite having virtually no sulfur, Biodiesel has HIGHER lubricity. This allows biodiesel to meet the EPA low-sulfur requirements, while reducing wear and tear on your engine.