Date:         Tue, 17 May 2005 11:07:37 -0600
Reply-To:     jimt <camper@TACTICAL-BUS.INFO>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         jimt <camper@TACTICAL-BUS.INFO>
Subject:      Re: Question on Biodiesel
Comments: To: Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <86476e25050517092510128493@mail.gmail.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

On 5/17/05 10:25 AM, "Loren Busch" <starwagen@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> A question for the diesel and bio diesel experts out there.  The first
> biodiesel filling station just opened in Seattle, pumping biodiesel
> from the sole plant in the area.  Price:  $1.00 a gallon HIGHER than
> gas or regular diesel.  What gives?  Where is the advantage?  And I
> though that the biodiesel advocates were all pushing the
> McDonalds/Burgerking biodiesel?
> BTW, not trying to start an argument here, just trying to understand
> what is going on here.  I'm already aware of the figures on total BTU
> costs of production, etc.
>
>

Commercial bio is a different animal than the home-brew.

Much more refined and will run without engine mods.  Check the pump though
to see what type it is.  Commercial bio usually comes in B10 or B20.  All
diesels can run the B10 with no mods.  Some may have cold weather probs with
the B20 (but not many).  Right now the cost factor is mostly the economy of
scale and distribution costs.  Two refining companies have stated that if
the cost of diesel rises another 25 cents per gallon the cost of bio will
drop about 10 cents in about a year as demand for the bio goes up.  Even
without the price changes you will be seeing B5 or B10 as the regular diesel
in a few years in order to meet the new pollution standards that are going
in.  same rules will take the E5 and E10 at the gas pumps and push it to E10
and E15.

From a table on costs I was looking at a few days ago.  Prices are for the
same unit of volume.

Rape seed oil expensive  $690
Soy oil cheaper but still costly $500
Jatropha cheapest - but very limited production $275

While trying to find info on the jatropha I found this site
http://www.d1plc.com/
Jimt