Sustainable Biofuel: Here And In The US

Did you read or hear the story about Daniel Epstein, a lawyer, pilates teacher and one-time Silicon Valley businessman and his idea of packaging greener fuel with healthier convenience goods? Apparently he had a discussion with Peter Edwards – a Victor Smorgon grandson and heir – who wants to see alternative fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel accepted by consumers, and a few weeks later…

‘Conservo’ and its ‘Eco Living Centre’ has opened in Melbourne

Joining the growing ranks of alternative fuel outlets, this Prahran servo sells:

• E10 – unleaded petrol blended with 10 per cent ethanol
• B20 – diesel blended with 20 per cent biodiesel
• B100 -100 per cent biodiesel
• ‘healthy’ snacks, organic milk, coffee and environmental magazines.

E10 is suitable for use in all petrol vehicles and both the B20 and the B100 can be used in standard diesel engines. The fuels, produced by Energetix – a division of Victor Smorgon Group – all have claimed lower carbon emissions than standard petrol and diesel. Energetix produces about 12 million litres of fuel a year from Canola and animal tallow and claims to be the biggest producer of biofuels in Victoria.

The Victor Smorgon Group has bought the Australian rights to a technology developed by American company GreenFuel that promises to turn carbon dioxide into biofuel, via algal farms. Although it hasn’t been commercialised anywhere yet, Energetix is very hopeful and the technology is being trialled at Hazelwood power station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.

Certification for alternative fuels?

It seems alternative fuels are starting to become sufficiently successful for us to start examining their ‘true sustainability’ and work out the differences between biofuels that may not benefit people and the planet, compared to those that will.

Jeremy Faludi’s links and comments on the recent BALLE Conference (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) in Berkley, California are interesting reading, also his notes on a ‘Sustainable Biodiesel’ discussion, where the moderator was not in favour of burning straight vegetable oil in cars because of two factors:

• it leaves a residue on the inside of engines (which damages the vehicle over time)
• its emissions include burned glycerin whose chemical composition is similar to a pesticide.

A standard is being developed

Certification measuring the sustainability of a biofuel will give producers a score based on:

• the energy return of the crop
• the greenhouse emissions
• not clearing virgin land to farm feedstock
• local ownership of refineries
• other factors.

This process is being developed by the US Institute for Trade & Agriculture Policy and will be similar to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design: US Green Building Council) or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).