For alternatives to petroleum, the hype has recently been about EVs and almost all auto makers are rolling out their electric vehicles, yet for most American automotive owners they are far from practical considering the miles of highway and distances we travel. For that, efficient clean diesels running biodiesel makes a lot of sense ... here's a NYTimes article offering some positive news on this carbon neutral renewable fuel especially if it is produced from genetically engineered algae.

Algae are attracting attention because the strains can potentially produce 10 or more times more fuel per acre than the corn used to make ethanol or the soybeans used to make biodiesel. Moreover, algae might be grown on arid land and brackish water, so that fuel production would not compete with food production. And algae are voracious consumers of carbon dioxide, potentially helping to keep some of this greenhouse gas from contributing to global warming.

 An article in AutoblogGreen highlighted some positive research on developing a greener diesel fuel.or really an additive that improves petroleum diesel fuel. According to the article, Michael Boot, a doctoral student and researcher from Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e) in the Netherlands, calls this new fuel Cyclox. It’s actually a blend of petroleum diesel and 10% cyclohexanone (CH2)5CO which reduces soot emissions by 50 percent. If fuel to air mixtures are adjusted to a 50/50 air to fuel ratio, Boot is able to achieve zero soot .

The additive being used isn’t all that exotic either; it can be made from lignin which is part of the cell walls from plants and trees. The blog post points to all the wasted ‘lignin’ produced during paper manufacturing as a readily available source of waste material that can be utilized to produce the additive.

Starting February 27th, Volkswagen will be implementing a "Think Blue" marketing campaign stressing the company's focus on "sustainable mobility" which to many CinciTDI members highlights the fuel efficiency of VW TDI diesel vehicles and the environmental awareness of new "clean diesel" TDIs and biodiesel fuel options. Volkswagen is building on the "BlueMotion" label and bringing back the successful 1960's "Think Small" slogan which with the diminutive VW Beetle put Volkswagen on the map here in North America.

In a December 8th Wall Street Journal Article, the National Biodiesel Board indicated that "The ailing U.S. biodiesel industry is producing at 15% of its potential capacity and that output could "cease altogether" if the federal government does not extend a tax credit set to expire on December 31, 2009." READ

An Ohio partnership has declared U.S. Route 33 from Columbus, Ohio, to the Ohio River a Biofuels Corridor. Non-profits Rural Action Inc. and Clean Fuels Ohio along with Hocking College Energy Institute are promoting the use of biodiesel along the highway corridor. The objective is to have at least six retail biodiesel fueling points and buses from at least three school districts using biodiesel along the four-county route. Part of the initiative to inform potential suppliers and users that Ohio has grant money available for both biodiesel dispensing stations at the retail level and for the incremental cost difference between petroleum diesel and biodiesel for K-12 school buses.

READ more in Biodiesel Magazine

Not only has the Cincinnati been a pioneer in using biodiesel in their city buses (PDF), but the Great American Ballpark is being praised as one of the greenest Major League Baseball facilities in the nation. The ballpark composts its grass clippings and convert all the cooking oil in the consession stands to biodiesel fuel according to a recent article.  Reds outfielder Chris Dickerson, cofounder and CEO of "WePlayGreen.org," says there has been great support in Cincinnati from Rumpke dispersing recycling bins to fans participating in efforts to use resources more carefully. Dickerson's goal is to try and "instill consciousness" among Reds fans. 

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Shrimp cocktails could help out fuel tanks, scientists now reveal.

As concerns over global warming and dwindling fossil fuel reserves increase worldwide, more and more interest is growing in renewable fuels such as biodiesel to fill energy demands. However, biodiesel production techniques require catalysts to speed up the chemical reactions that convert soybean, canola, and other plant oils into diesel fuel, and so far catalysts both cannot be reused and must be neutralized with large amounts of water, leaving behind large amounts of polluted wastewater.

Now scientists in China have developed a new catalyst made from shrimp shells that could transform biodiesel production into a faster, cheaper and more environmentally friendly process.

For those interested in the future of biodiesel, particularly higher percentage blends in newer DPF equipped diesel engines, a recent Popular Mechanics article offers some interesting information. For now the best advice for new 'clean diesel' TDIs disappointingly seems to be to stick with Volkswagen's B5 recommendation (although I know owners comfortably running B10 & B20 without problem to date).