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Interview with Curtis Mearns: part 2 – biodiesel quality
Curtis Mearns is CEO of Cascadia Biofuels. He kindly allowed us to interview him for TDI Curious. Here is part two of a three-part series of posts on this encounter. You can read part one here.
Andrew: Is there a regulatory body managing the quality parameters of these new fuels? Are there standards to meet?
Curtis: All industry proponents have been working together to develop ASTM standards for biodiesel. New standards have been recently released and can be found here.
In Canada, the Canadian General Standards Board is the counterpart to ASTM and for the most part adopts these standards. Products must meet ASTM standards to be road legal and Environment Canada performs spot checks to ensure compliance.
A: We sometimes have people tell us that they can make their own fuel or know of someone who can filter used cooking oil. As a diesel driver, how can I be assured the biodiesel I am burning will not harm my engine?
C: True. There are a number of people who are producing various types of “homemade” oil or straight vegetable oil (SVO). SVO will NOT pass the ASTM requirements, and therefore cannot legally be sold as a qualifying fuel and most certainly would void any warranty coverage.
Simply ask the supplier for a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) to ensure the product you’re buying meets ASTM standards. If they cannot provide a CoA, then you would be at risk.
A: We keep hearing about 1st and 2nd generation fuels. What is the difference?
C: First-generation biofuels refer to biofuels made from sugar, starch, vegetable oil, or animal fats using conventional technology. Some of this feedstock competes directly with the animal or human food chain. As the global population dedicates more and more of these crops to producing biofuels, there has been criticism that food is being diverted away from the human food chain, leading to food shortages and price increases. Producing biofuels from feedstock that competes with food must be reconsidered on humanitarian grounds.
Second-generation biofuels refer to the production of biofuels through biomass to liquid technology, which can process a variety of non-food crops. These include waste biomass like pine beetle wood in the forestry sector, and residual non-food crops like straw and stalks in the agricultural sector. They also include municipal solid waste, which forms the basis of the BC Bioenergy Strategy.
The BC Bioenergy Strategy proposes creating biofuel from problematic biomass waste that would otherwise be a burden on society. The technology employed would convert the energy contained in biomass into higher-value electric or liquid energy.
You will find more on this plan here.
In time, the promise of transforming biomass waste into liquid will become a reality-so the issues of first generation biofuels will be resolved as the transition to second generation biofuels takes place.
A: There are quality concerns around biofuels and the new clean diesel engines launched on the market this year. Most of this discussion focuses on the moisture or water content of the fuel. What can you tell us about this?
C: Moisture content is a problem with all fuels. Best practice calls for a desiccant filter on the storage tanks. Check with your supplier should you have a water problem.
A: Can biodiesel be used then in any diesel built prior to 2008?
C: Yes. All diesel engines can use biodiesel with no modification.
A: Is it true that biodiesel is better for my older diesel engine? Something about lubricity?
C: Yes. Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD), the current diesel fuel, is very dry. Previously, high sulphur fuel had good lubricity, but when the sulphur was removed to meet emission standards, lubricity was removed as well. Biodiesel is a very good way to put lubricity back into the fuel and extend the life of the engine.
A: Thank you, Curtis. We will continue this discussion in a third post on the future of biodiesel.
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