Hi Joe,

I have a friend that makes biodiesel, seeing all the processes involved and having made ethanol myself, I wouldn’t say it’s easier. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. Both have good by-products and can make jobs in rural areas. It also comes down to where we have invested interests that perhaps sway our judgment.

In my current situation my neighbours’ are large diesel users, using over 400 to 500 litres per day. In the forest industry large amounts of fuel are used to run excavators, dozers, semis and large trucks.

We have one fish and chip shop to service this area (more than sufficient for junk food in the area) but all their oil is accounted for. Thirty minutes drive to Hounville and we have about 3 fish and chip shops but once again the oil is accounted for. One of the shops makes his own biodiesel and uses all the oil just for himself. He is also the largest oil producer of all the shops.

I then have to ask myself if is viable to travel 100 km’s to the city to get waste oil. I don’t know maybe it is. Or maybe it is all ready accounted for. So should I sell my gasoline car and by a diesel? When your neighbours all change their cars to Diesel then I think it would be cheaper to buy Diesel from the petrol stations than waste oil as the bidding wars will be insane when shop owners currently disposing of a waste product realise they could be getting cash for it.

Tell me, if you couldn’t get waste oil what would you do?

Would you grow an oil crop on your farm?

As regards to engine efficiency, would you agree that if you want to liberate the true potential of a fuel the engine needs to be designed for it?

Gas conversions do not get the same fuel economy as petrol but as a gas only car they have a similar fuel efficiency. Diesel is efficient because of its high compression, Ethanol can too use high compression, but gasoline can’t.

Ethanol 100% doesn’t run as well as 80/20 (20% water). Ethanol and water run better than ethanol and petrol. Currently I have had success with 70/30 ethanol/water.

We have to both agree that biodiesel and ethanol are both better than their oil counter parts and without the toxic fumes.

My main point is that Ethanol is under valued, misunderstood and is safer than gasoline.

Perhaps we will never see the true liberation of ethanol in its own right due to consumer fear within the market.

Regards,

Chris.