28 Jul 04
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.
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. "Biofuel" can also refer to bioethanol, a petrol substitute which can be used in many petrol engines with very little modification.
Essentially, it's a hydrocarbon fuel that is not derived from a fossil source; 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).
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 Scandinavia, and Ford and General Motors are now producing ethanol-compliant models (which can also run on petrol) for wider European sale.
