About Biodiesel
What is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel - also known as biofuel, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), or bio diesel - is an alternative fuel produced from renewable sources such as vegetable oils, recycled cooking oils, and animal fats. Biodiesel is much cleaner burning than fossil-fuel diesel.
It can be used in any diesel engine with no need for modifications - in fact biodiesel gives better lubricity - diesel engines run better and last longer with biodiesel.
See the section on Making Biodiesel for more details.
Is Biodiesel going to replace the need for mineral diesel?
Not in the short term but new technologies and feedstocks are likely to make this possible in the future.
However, it already plays a vital role in:
- reducing the harmful effects of petrochemical carbon emmissions
- enabling greater fuel indepenence in both the developing and developed world
- allowing rural regeneration in the developed world
- recycling waste oils that otherwise go to landfill
See the section on sustainability for further details on the role of biodiesel in responsible development.
