The global market for
biodiesel is poised for explosive growth. Brazil is expected to surpass U.S.
and European biodiesel
production by the year 2015.
There has been a
substantial increase in the production of the biodiesel in the U.S. In 1998,
only 500,000 gallons of biodiesel were produced, but by 2004 production had increased
to more than 150 million gallons. That is still a tiny fraction of the 60 billion gallons of
diesel used each year in the United States, but the future market prospects
are exciting.
In the U.S, the
market for biodiesel
is growing rapidly.
Biodiesel consumption in
the U.S. grew from 25 million gallons per year in 2004 to 78 million
gallons in 2005. Biodiesel production
in the U.S. is expected to reach 300 million gallons by the end of 2006, and
to reach approximately 750 million gallons per year in 2007.
It has recently
become less expensive to produce biodiesel than petrodiesel. In
one hand of
higher petroleum crude oil prices,
increased petro diesel refining
costs, increased agricultural
productivity, refining costs,
increased
agricultural productivity, and improvements in biodiesel processing
technology.
Biodiesel can provide
power comparable to conventional petro diesel and can be used in diesel
engines, either mixed
with petro diesel or in pure form. Biodiesel is non-toxic and
environment-friendly as it produces substantially less carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide,
and non-burned hydrocarbons. If
biodiesel is used as 100 per cent replacement to HSD oil, the harmful
emission of sulphur dioxide is totally eliminated.
Biodiesel in its pure
form is as biodegradable as sugar and less toxic than table salt. It
biodegrades up-to four times faster than petroleum diesel fuel with up-to 98%
biodegradation in three weeks. However, contrary to a popular misconception, it stores indefinitely in
full, cool, dark containers. Compared to regular fossil fuel diesel, biodiesel
has the
following emissions characteristics: