Post on 15-Dec-2015
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LIQUID SOLAR ENERGY
Don ScottDirector of SustainabilityNational Biodiesel Board
BiodieselLiquid Solar Energy
Vision of the National Biodiesel BoardImprove economics of local communities
Increases domestic jobs well beyond ag sectorReduce dependence on petroleum
Reduce outflow of $ for importsShift away from sole reliance on diminishing resource
Reduce harmful environmental impactReduce vehicle emissionsReduce net CO2Reduce threats to water and ecology
Biodiesel: Advanced Biofuel, Here Now
Nationwide ProductionBiodiesel is produced in every region of the country.
Performance Benefits of Biodiesel
• Yields the same kind of horsepower, torque, fuel economy and
performance as diesel fuel
• Naturally Ultra-Low in Sulfur
• <15 ppm
• Enhanced Lubricity
• B5 blend restores lubricity to ULSD
• High Cetane
• 47 min., 55 common
Environmental Benefits of Biodiesel• Cleaner, Safer Diesel Exhaust Emissions
• Superior Energy Efficiency (captures solar energy)
• Lifecycle Carbon Reduction
• Nontoxic & Biodegradable
• Reduces Wastewater & Hazardous Waste Production
Liquid Fuel is Stored Solar EnergyPlants store energy in natural oils.
Nature has pre-assembled long carbon chains.Annual crops concentrate energy in seed.Animals store energy in fat.Liquid fuels are energy-dense,
easily transported, and easily stored.Oils release energy easily.
Biodiesel stores solar energy.
Plants recycle carbon from the air.
Hydrocarbons (H, C, & O) do not mine nutrients (N, P, & K) from soil
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Co-products of Food Production
• Protein meal for livestock feed is the primary driver for soybean production
• Better utilization of the oil coproduct can reduce the price of the protein meal.
Lifecycle Emissions
Every unit of fossil energy put into producing biodiesel, yields 5.5 units of usable energy.
Biodiesel reduces GHG emission by 85-89%*
If we used renewable energy instead of natural gas and electricity to process biodiesel, our GHG
reduction could exceed 100%.
• 85-86% per USEPA• 89% per Argonne National Laboratory 9
200 million years ago:atmospheric CO2 was 4 to 5 times its present concentration.
500 million years ago: atmospheric CO2 was 20 times higher that it is today.
Life as we know it today did not survive under those conditions.
Early life converted CO2 to solid carbon.
Geologic processes converted that carbon to fossil fuels.
It took hundreds of millions of years to permanently sequester this carbon and
establish the equilibrium that supports life as we know it.
Burning Fossil Fuels Pumps Carbon Into the Atmosphere
The last century has reversed millions of years of carbon sequestration.
We are depleting oil reserves while increasing atmospheric CO2.
Carbon Problem Grows Every yearFossil Carbon emitted each year 7.3 billion
tonsCarbon absorbed by plants-2.2 billion tonsCarbon absorbed by oceans -1.8
billion tons 1% stored in rocks & sediment -.07 billion
tons
Net Carbon Accumulation 3.2 billion tons
Reducing fossil fuel use is the only way to control CO2.
Biofuels are a necessary alternative for liquid fuels and
other uses of energy.
• Plants take CO2 from the air and energy from the sun
• Plants store carbon in biomass
• Biofuels harness biomass and stored solar energy
Biofuels Recycle Carbon