What is biodiesel?
A renewable & inexhaustible source of fuel.
A convenient replacement of fossil fuel.
Esters derived from oils & fats or municipal & industrial waste.
Why biodiesel?
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).
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
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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