andygates: (Default)
andygates ([personal profile] andygates) wrote2008-12-03 08:42 pm

Biodiesel on the forecourt

Morrison's have started selling B30 biodiesel on most of their forecourts.  That's 30% biodiesel, 70% dinodiesel, with the bio part being made from recycled veg oil and from UK-sourced rapeseed oil.  No palm oil drama, and at that low blend, pretty easy to adopt (your first tank may feel rough: stick it out for two, because the first tank of bio flushes some crap from your tank and that needs to work through).

[identity profile] flitljm.livejournal.com 2008-12-04 11:48 am (UTC)(link)
I hate to be grumpy, but any use of food-grade veg oil in diesel leads to palm oil drama. Imports of palm oil to Europe for food are on the increase because home-grown oils are going for fuel.

For a helpful summary of a recent paper by friends of mine on the oil palm side of things (doesn't touch on this trade issue) - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7758542.stm

[identity profile] despaer.livejournal.com 2008-12-04 12:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Is there any fuel source that doesn't ultimately come from fossil fuels or from food grade veg oils? I'm wondering because I drive an old diesel car and it would be nice to know of some way of minimizing its effects (other than walking)

[identity profile] andygates.livejournal.com 2008-12-04 12:52 pm (UTC)(link)
We have a local biodiesel maker who takes recycled oil from restaurants. That's as good as you'll get, I think. The nearest I can find for your neck of the woods is Biosulis in Radstock, but the list may be out of date -- there's a mushrooming of these little industrial-estate fuel brewers each with their own catchment area of conveniently recyclable oil.

[identity profile] andygates.livejournal.com 2008-12-04 12:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Good point - I'll have to dig deeper and see what grade they're using.