How Can Biodiesel Fuel Save You Money?

With the price of traditional petroleum-based fuels sky-rocketing, more and more people are turning to biodiesel as a fuel source for their diesel engines. Biodiesel is a replacement fuel that is manufactured from vegetable oils (including soy, corn and canola oils), cooking oils or animal fats. All of these sources are renewable, unlike traditional petroleum-based diesel. Not only is biodiesel a cleaner-burning fuel that is better for the environment, it can save you money.

If you join the many people across the world choosing to make their own biodiesel, there will be some unavoidable setup costs. You will need to purchase a biodiesel processor which, if feature-packed and bought pre-fabricated, can set you back up to several thousand dollars. The cost will be less if you choose to construct your own biodiesel processor from secondhand materials, which is an option many home handymen take. Either way, you should consider your biodiesel processor as an investment. Biodiesel typically costs 70 cents to the price of an average gallon of pump-purchased gas. If you save yourself 30 cents for each gallon of biodiesel, then the cost of the processor will be quickly recouped.

There are few ongoing costs for biodiesel production. Securing sufficient quantities of feedstock is the greatest cost for commercial producers of biodiesel, but small-scale home production facilities rarely encounter such overheads. Often times, local restaurants and fast food shops will happily give you their used oils because you are saving them the trouble and expense of having the oil collected.

Biodiesel offers positive performance benefits for your diesel engines, which will also save you money in the long run. In particular, biodiesel has a higher cetane content, high fuel lubricity and is highly oxygenated. The high oxygen content means that the combustion process is more complete than it would be for petroleum-based diesel. This means you driver further per gallon and save more money.

Although there has been some confusion surrounding the suitability of biodiesel for use in cars, the jury is in: biodiesel will work in any diesel motor with little or no modification. This means you can use your home-grown biodiesel in everything from your car, to your truck, boat, bus or earth moving equipment. Studies have shown that biodiesel is actually better for your diesel engine than petro-diesel, due to a property known as lubricity. Engines that run on biodiesel show less wear, which extends engine life. This of course means that your vehicle maintenance costs are reduced.

The by-products of biodiesel production can also save you money. If you’re using vegetable oils as feedstock, you will generate glycerin during the production process. Glycerin, once purified, is useful as a combustible fuel and also is the principal component of soap and other degreasers. Many home-based biodiesel manufacturers offer their glycerin to similarly-sized boutique soap manufacturers.

Biodiesel has been called the “fuel of the future” – not only is it environmentally friendly, but it also reduces the operating costs and wear and tear on your diesel engines.

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