What is biodiesel?

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• A renewable & inexhaustible source of fuel.
• A convenient replacement of fossil fuel.
• Esters derived from oils & fats or municipal & industrial waste.

Why biodiesel?

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• Biodiesel is extensively tested.
• Immediate use in any diesel engine.
• No adverse durability or engine wear problems.
• Performance, fuel mileage and driveability unchanged.
• Fully compatible with fossil diesel.
• Very safe to store having a high flash point.
• Great improvements in the exhaust emission profile.
• Non-toxic product.
• Utilise waste products.
• Special tax concession on biodiesel within the EU.  In February 1994, the European Parliament adopted a 90% tax exemption for biodiesel.
• Over 85 countries invested in this technology

The Malta project
University of Malta in collaboration with the Austrian Biofuel Institute (ABI).

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• The project:

• Collection of waste oils / fats
• Setting up of the production plant
• Utilisation of all by-products
• Identification of new raw material
• Research and Development

• Some facts from the feasability study:

• Plant size of 3000T yearly
• Raw material is waste oils and fats
• All by-products are commercially valuable.
• Identified potential users.

 The biodiesel industry

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• General comments

• Worldwide production capacity rose from 111,000T in 1991 to 1,286,000T in 1996.
• All major German car producers issued engine warranties for biodiesel utilisation in personal cars & trucks.
• Biodiesel plant in Mureck, Austria: “using Used Frying Oil overcame the main barrier of the industry, that is the high raw material prices”.

 
• Increasing acceptance of biodiesel by

• The Diesel vehicle industry
• the fuel trade
• the end users eg.  Bus companies, taxi fleets, shipping companies

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