The Hindu Business Line : Brazil develops new biofuel thru vegoil blend

Salient features
Biodiesel represents a renewable energy source and has lubricity characteristics.
It is known to aid lubrication of the engine while it is running, prolonging the engine's life.

Mumbai , July 1

For those closely observing the new driver for the global vegetable oil market - biodiesel - there is something more.

Brazil, the world leader in production, consumption and export of bio-ethanol, has designed and developed a new type of diesel fuel that is mixed with various vegetable oils.

A mixture

While biodiesel is popularly produced out of either rapeseed oil (mainly in Europe) or soyabean oil (mainly in the US) through the process of trans-esterification, Brazil's new biofuel — H-Bio — is a mixture of cotton, castorbean, sunflowerseed and soyabean oils. Unlike other forms of biodiesel, H-Bio is mixed by the fuel distributor and not at the refinery. This can lead to cost saving for the manufacturer.

Biodiesel is becoming increasingly popular not only since it represents a renewable energy source, but also for its lubricity characteristics.

It is known to aid lubrication of the engine while it is running, prolonging the engine's life.

Brazil's success

Brazil' success in using organic-petroleum fuel blends like sugarcane-based ethanol fuel is well known. It is a matter of law in the country that all Brazilian gasoline must contain 25 per cent ethanol and most vehicles manufactured in the country can run on any mixture of the two fuels.

It took over 25 years for Brazil to attain this leadership position in the world. Last year, the country produced 13 million gallons of ethanol mostly for domestic consumption. The country is not only self-sufficient, but is also profitable and looking to expanding its exports.

Energy market

With the global energy market soaring to newer heights in the last couple of years, the search for low-cost alternative fuels has heightened. Asian economies are fast emerging as major growth markets for energy products.

No wonder, Brazilian energy officials are said to be in talks with several nations including the US, China and India to export 65 million gallons in the coming years.

Malaysia is desperately trying to boost the use of palm oil as biodiesel. In India, preliminary attempt to boost production and use of biofuels — both bioethanol and biodiesel — is taking shape. However, several issues covering production, distribution, use, cost and pricing need to be addressed.

A chronic shortage of vegetable oil in India has resulted in the country importing close to 50 lakh tonnes every year to meet the cooking oil needs of the population.

Domestic oil prices are far above international rates.

Production of vegetable oil for non-food use will have to be cost-competitive.

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