31 Aug 06
There's plenty of talk about fuels of the future these days, and there's a growing buzz about organic, or bio fuels. These are starting to arouse interest in money-savers and environmentalists alike, all of whom are looking for that Holy Grail of a clean, sustainable fuel source.
Essentially, it's a hydrocarbon fuel that is not derived from fossils; instead it is made from the oils of growing matter - vegetables, seeds, beans, etc. An alternative to normal diesel (derv), it is ecologically sustainable and creates less pollution (more on this later). But we have to distinguish biodiesel, as such, from biofuels generally.
Biofuel is a generic term that encompasses biodiesel, but also includes DiMethyl Ether (DME) - a gaseous fuel similar to propane. DME can be used to produce a liquid fuel from a variety of sources, including natural gas, coal and waste. Because of this, not all DME is strictly biofuel, but the purity of this fuel certainly qualifies it as such.
This also can be synthesised from sustainable organic sources and used in petrol engines with little conversion. It has long been used in some South American countries and in Scandinavia, and Saab, Ford and General Motors are now producing ethanol-compliant models (which can also run on petrol) for wider European sale. Expect bioethanol to be more widely available in coming years; at the moment, there are very few suppliers.
