LIQUID SOLAR ENERGY

LIQUID SOLAR ENERGY

Don ScottDirector of SustainabilityNational Biodiesel Board

BiodieselLiquid Solar Energy

What is Biodiesel?

A renewable substitute for diesel fuel made from animal

fats or vegetable oils

Vision of the National Biodiesel BoardImprove economics of local communities

Increases domestic jobs well beyond ag sectorReduce dependence on petroleum

Reduce outflow of $ for importsShift away from sole reliance on diminishing resource

Reduce harmful environmental impactReduce vehicle emissionsReduce net CO2Reduce threats to water and ecology

Biodiesel: Advanced Biofuel, Here Now

Nationwide ProductionBiodiesel is produced in every region of the country.

Performance Benefits of Biodiesel

• Yields the same kind of horsepower, torque, fuel economy and

performance as diesel fuel

• Naturally Ultra-Low in Sulfur

• <15 ppm

• Enhanced Lubricity

• B5 blend restores lubricity to ULSD

• High Cetane

• 47 min., 55 common

Environmental Benefits of Biodiesel• Cleaner, Safer Diesel Exhaust Emissions

• Superior Energy Efficiency (captures solar energy)

• Lifecycle Carbon Reduction

• Nontoxic & Biodegradable

• Reduces Wastewater & Hazardous Waste Production

Liquid Fuel is Stored Solar EnergyPlants store energy in natural oils.

Nature has pre-assembled long carbon chains.Annual crops concentrate energy in seed.Animals store energy in fat.Liquid fuels are energy-dense,

easily transported, and easily stored.Oils release energy easily.

Biodiesel stores solar energy.Plants recycle carbon from the air.Hydrocarbons (H, C, & O) do not mine nutrients

(N, P, & K) from soil7

Co-products of Food Production

• Protein meal for livestock feed is the primary driver for soybean production

• Better utilization of the oil coproduct can reduce the price of the protein meal.

Lifecycle Emissions

Every unit of fossil energy put into producing biodiesel, yields 5.5 units of usable energy.

Biodiesel reduces GHG emission by 85-89%*

If we used renewable energy instead of natural gas and electricity to process biodiesel, our GHG

reduction could exceed 100%.

• 85-86% per USEPA• 89% per Argonne National Laboratory 9

Lifecycle AnalysisAnd the

Carbon Cycle

200 million years ago:atmospheric CO2 was 4 to 5 times its present concentration.

500 million years ago: atmospheric CO2 was 20 times higher that it is today.

Life as we know it today did not survive under those conditions.

Early life converted CO2 to solid carbon.

Geologic processes converted that carbon to fossil fuels.

It took hundreds of millions of years to permanently sequester this carbon and

establish the equilibrium that supports life as we know it.

Burning Fossil Fuels Pumps Carbon Into the Atmosphere

The last century has reversed millions of years of carbon sequestration.

We are depleting oil reserves while increasing atmospheric CO2.

Carbon Problem Grows Every yearFossil Carbon emitted each year 7.3 billion tonsCarbon absorbed by plants -2.2 billion tonsCarbon absorbed by oceans -1.8 billion tons 1% stored in rocks & sediment -.07 billion tons

Net Carbon Accumulation 3.2 billion tons

Reducing fossil fuel use is the only way to control CO2.

Biofuels are a necessary alternative for liquid fuels and

other uses of energy.

• Plants take CO2 from the air and energy from the sun

• Plants store carbon in biomass

• Biofuels harness biomass and stored solar energy

Biofuels Recycle Carbon

Diversity

Brown Grease

Brown Grease

A Model of Sustainability• Real Environmental Benefits

• Increases Energy Security

• Supporting Jobs and Economic Benefits

• Commitment to Fuel Quality and Performance

• Education and Outreach

• Responsible Goal Setting

• Successful Public Policy

• Emphasis on science and quantified analysis

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