Renewable fuels 101: What is biodiesel
Biodiesel has become one of the most widely used renewable fuels on the market in the United States today. From consumers to commercial fleets, biodiesel is growing in its availability, and as drop-in fuel, it may be a solution for customers to implement on their lower carbon journey.
What is biodiesel?
Biodiesel is a drop-in, lower carbon intensity fuel solution that can help users across industries lower their carbon intensity. It is one of the easiest and most effective fuels for reducing lifecycle carbon emissions, while helping to maintain fleet performance.
How is biodiesel created?
Biodiesel is manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats or used restaurant grease or oils. These fats and oils are converted to biodiesel through a process called transesterification. This process also produces glycerin as a coproduct — which can be further refined to produce additional useful products such as food, cosmetics, drugs and even packing materials.
How does the production of biodiesel reduce lifecycle carbon emissions?
Biodiesel is produced from feedstocks that receive their energy from the sun rather than fossil fuels, and as such, biodiesel’s lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to be up to 86% lower than petroleum diesel. Additionally, using feedstocks made from waste or other byproducts to produce fuel, gives them a productive use, rather than going to a landfill.
What is the current availability of biodiesel?
Chevron is focused on the production of biodiesel and operates 8 biodiesel production facilities — six in the U.S. and two in Europe. Additionally, Chevron owns fuel terminals throughout the U.S. offering biodiesel through 12 fuel terminals in California alone. The overall useable network of biodiesel is growing for many types of vehicles and fleets using biodiesel. A full map of the 1,430 biodiesel fueling facilities is available through the U.S. Department of Energy.
How does biodiesel differ from petroleum diesel? What benefits does it have?
The main difference between biodiesel and petroleum diesel is their chemical makeup — biodiesel is made from biomass-based feedstocks, while petroleum diesel is made from feedstock such as crude oil.
This difference in makeup provides advantages for biodiesel.
- Biodiesel has a higher lubricity than petroleum diesel because it doesn’t rely on sulfur for lubrication. Additionally, the oxygen in biodiesel enhances its lubricity characteristics. Increased lubricity helps reduce wear on engine pumps and injectors and may help lower maintenance costs overall.
- These lubricity benefits are also found when biodiesel is blended with petroleum diesel. Higher blends have higher lubrication, but even as little as 2% biodiesel blended into petroleum diesel gives engines necessary lubricity.
- Biodiesel has a Cetane number higher than petroleum diesel, which aids in a more complete combustion compared to petroleum diesel.
What industries and vehicles is biodiesel a fit for?
Biodiesel is a drop-in fuel that can be used in almost all vehicles capable of running on diesel fuel. It is a solution that can bring benefits to retailers, fleets and wholesalers across industries including trucking, marine, rail, construction, mining and agriculture, who are looking to start or further invest in their lower carbon journey.
Virtually all original equipment manufacturers (OEM) approve the use of B5 — a low blend of biodiesel. The Clean Fuels Alliance America (CFAA) provides information on OEM support for biodiesel use in various vehicle brands.
Want to know more about biodiesel?
Biodiesel is one of many lower carbon solutions that Chevron offers. Available at a variety of blend levels, Chevron is here to help determine what might be right for your business.
Chevron can work with you wherever your business is on their lower carbon journey. From understanding and establishing ESG reporting, to finding fuel solutions that can fit your fleet, we’re ready to assist. To learn more, contact our team.