Question

RN{ ( all 25% 01 0:50 PM 70° 92437 92 4:37 PM May 2, 4:39 PM RIN Petroleum diesel vs biodiesel ne race Biodiesel is big and getting bigger, butis itany better than its petroleum-derived equivalent in terms of global warming? Eric Johnson and Russell Heinen find out Biodiesel is on a roll, a subsidy led roll. above current levels of about 2%. Thanks to tax-breaks for retailers andsuch interest in biofaels? For quota exemptions for farmers, world one, many analysts believe that crude's The EU has set a target for biofuels to production has soared from about price party is over that cheap oil has account for 10% of all fuels by 2020 300 0001 in 1995 to nearly 7m t in 2006 permanently disappeared. This ties to Biodiesel made from rape oil creates N0 an annualised growth of 33%. Over the coming decade, output is expected to Imb perhaps another terfid, which surely makes it the worlds fastest-growe ing bulk chemical product another biofuels hot button: the desire for greater energy security. Better to hae the local farmers ng at least some of your fuel instead of counting on supplies from notoriously unrelia- emissions over its entire lifetime ·Growing rapeseed releases large amounts of Ironically, biodiesel's rise comes a bleexporters in, say, Russia, the Middle century later than originally plannod. East or Venczuela. And then there are When inventor Radolf Diesel showed the farmers themselives. What better his eponymous compression engine at way to subsidise this numerically small the 1900 World's Fair in Paris France, yet politically mighty group than to it ran on peanut oil. Although he did hand them the keys to the nation's not name it a peanut engine, Me Diesel petrol tank did intend his motors to run on vegeta- ble oils, which are only one process Powerful argument? step remeved from biodiesel. Despite These seem to be solid reasons in them his intentions, petroleum derivatives selves yet the most powerful argument ended up cornering the motor fuels for boosting biofuels, the El says, is to References markets, and for one very good reason: combat global warming. As the 10% by '-"mm even at today's S60-ish per barrel crude 2020 target was announced. European ︷oMn prices, they cost less. sel refined fromm crude oil-and came to answers that, although politically incorrect, are worth considering. We inventoried the lifetime green- bousegas emissions of RME (rape me thyl ester biodiesel) and petroleum diesel, as commenly produced in rapeseed on a farm, which is then crushed to extract oil, which is chemi cally processed into biodiesel. which is burnt in an engine. For petroleum die- sel the lifetime begins as crude oil in · Commission president José Barroso This inconvenient truth has not crowed: We can say to the rest of the ell, which is produced, refined and stopped gowernments around the world world-Europe is taking the lead. You L OE then also burnt. We used emissions from pushing biofuels, indeed it spurs should join us in fighting clima them on. The latest move was from the change European Commission, which in utdo biofuels really reduce gobal CNCIVE n January 2007 proposed to peg biofoels warming? To answer this crucial ques 2020 share of all transport fuels at 10%. tion. SRİ Consulting rSRICI recently botao tin some two-thirds of RME's greenhouse This comes on top of the 2003 E szed up biodiesel made from rape oilw gas emissions occur during the farm Biofuels Directive that aims for a 5.75% -Europe's and the world's predomi share in 2010. Either target is well nant fedstock-versus petroleum die a rope is taking the lead. You data for these steps from a variety of process models of biodiesel synthesis m am İng of rapeseed. where cropand ernts Petroleum dieing Chemistry&Industry 23 April 2007 Petroleum diesel vs biodiesel

Answer 1

No, biodiesel also promotes global warming more or less equally like petroleum-derived diesel even more. It would increase rather than decrease greenhouse emissions as compared to petroleum-derived diesel. Biodiesel is actually derived from rapeseed grown on farmland which emits almost the same amount of gas causing global warming ( CO₂ equivalents) that is equal to the emissions per km released when petroleum-derived diesel is burnt. When nitrous oxide (N₂O) is released into the atmosphere at the time of farming of rapeseed for biodiesel then it facilitates more global warming than petroleum-derived diesel as its potential is 200-300 times greater as a greenhouse gas like CO₂ will produce. Whereas, petroleum-derived diesel releases about approx 85% of its greenhouse gas emission when combustion of fuel takes in vehicle’s engine at the final use stage. There is even a better way for reducing global warming, it the farmlands used for growing rapeseed for biodiesel are used for growing trees then it would rather control about one-third or even more of the greenhouse gas like CO₂ produced by petroleum-derived diesel.