Project Desciption

In the year 2000, biodiesel became the only alternative fuel in the country to have successfully completed the EPA-required Tier I and Tier II health effects testing under the Clean Air Act. These independent tests conclusively demonstrated biodiesel’s significant reduction of virtually all regulated emissions without posing a threat to human health. Increasing utilization of renewable biofuels would not only result in significant economic benefits to both urban and rural sectors, it also would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 78.5% when compared with burning petroleum diesel. Biodiesel is a renewable energy resource since it can be produced readily, cheaply, and safely by the average person utilizing used vegetable oil which is commonly generated and disposed of as a waste product by thousands of restaurants and institutions. Conversion of this waste vegetable oil to biodiesel fuel has the potential to save money to both the businesses generating the oil and the farmers who could utilize the biodiesel fuel in reducing their overhead expense of producing our food supply. This project will promote the economic benefits and feasibility of that process, increase public awareness of the suitability of biodiesel as an alternative fuel, and stimulate pursuit of this technology by entrepreneurs generating economic benefits and producing energy. Our system of transportation and most forms of horsepower utilized today in agricultural and industrial production are heavily dependent on the use of fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel fuel. Fossil fuels are largely considered a non-renewable resource and are all too often imported from other countries creating a dangerous situation in which we must rely on foreign countries for oil that we depend on for our transportation, agricultural, and industrial needs. This shortsighted and dangerous energy strategy is not only unnecessary, but it prevents the efficient development of a more sustainable energy program which would not only reduce our risk, but create much needed economic benefits to the industrial, commercial, and agricultural sectors. In addition, the production of more sustainable alternative fuels, such as Biodiesel, benefits all citizens by reducing air and water pollution. Partnerships in this project will be crucial. Several Conservation Districts have already expressed their interest and commitment to the project by offering to serve as one of the host locations for the biodiesel demonstrations. Two agricultural producers have already volunteered to host a production unit at their farm or participate in the project by using the fuel produced at another location. The project is structured to establish eight production units to promote the adoption of the Biodiesel fuel throughout the eight counties. We are planning on allotting one stationary unit per county and have asked for the funding to create a mobile unit which can better be utilized at county fairs and other public events to achieve benefits in all eight of the counties we work with.
	Goals and Objectives The goals of this project are: 1. Promote available technology to process waste vegetable oil into biodiesel fuel. 2. Evaluate and promote satisfactory performance of alternative renewable fuels in agricultural production and transportation as opposed to burning non-renewable fossil fuels to provide power for machinery. 3. Encourage private entrepreneurial efforts to adopt this technology to create economic benefits by creating production jobs or by reducing overhead costs of businesses in Pennsylvania. 4. Reduce quantity of waste vegetable oil to be disposed of and the associated costs of disposal paid by the businesses that generate the waste vegetable oil. 5. Reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere by substituting the use of clean burning biodiesel fuel for conventional diesel fuel. 6. Reduce Sulfur Dioxide emissions to the atmosphere by substituting use of clean burning biodiesel fuel for conventional diesel fuel. 7. Reduce unburned Hydrocarbon emissions to the atmosphere by substituting use of clean burning biodiesel fuel for conventional diesel fuel. 8. Reduce carbon monoxide emissions to the atmosphere by substituting use of clean burning biodiesel fuel for conventional diesel fuel. 9. Reduce Particulate Matter emissions to the atmosphere by substituting use of clean burning biodiesel fuel for conventional diesel fuel. 10. Provide education to residents of eight counties in northwestern Pennsylvania to improve public awareness of air quality and energy policy issues.
What is biodiesel? Biodiesel is the name of a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. How is biodiesel made? Biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification whereby the glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil. The process leaves behind two products -- methyl esters (the chemical name for biodiesel) and glycerin (a valuable byproduct usually sold to be used in soaps and other products).
To Read the full project proposal submitted to Energy Harvest Click Here (opens a 44 KB PDF file in a new window) Biodiesel for Kids Click Here (Opens a 127 KB PDF file in a new window) Information provided by National Biodiesel Board
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NW PA BIODIESEL ADOPTION PROJECT - a Penn Soil Project