What is Biodiesel?
	Benefits
	Safety and performance
	Vehicle and fuel availability
	Research and programs
	Bio Links

Benefits

Societal and economic benefits

Biodiesel is produced from local, renewable resources – either agricultural products or agro-industry residues such as slaughterhouse waste, recycled cooking oil, non-food-grade virgin oil or agricultural surplus. This can provide new value for products that were once destined for a land-fill site, creating new markets for local industries and reducing government's and industry's disposal costs.

Environmental benefits

Over the life cycle – from growing oilseeds or rendering animal waste to its manufacture and use – pure biodiesel produces 64 to 92 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared with petroleum diesel, depending on what oil or fat is used to make it. A 20 percent blend of biodiesel with petroleum diesel (B-20) produces 12 to 18 percent fewer emissions, and a 2 percent blend (B-2) produces 1 to 2 percent fewer emissions. As well, by changing the waste products into biodiesel, they are diverted from landfill sites where they may have produced methane gas, which contributes to climate change.

Biodiesel itself is composed of 11 percent oxygen by mass and is almost sulphur-free, thus even low concentrations added to petroleum diesel make it burn better and may improve the performance of catalytic converters. Biodiesel is non-toxic and as biodegradable as sugar. Within 28 days, it degrades 85 to 88 percent in water – about four times faster than petroleum diesel. This substantially reduces the impact of accidental spills. Blending biodiesel with petroleum diesel accelerates the rate at which the latter biodegrades. A blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent conventional diesel degrades twice as fast as diesel alone.

Pure biodiesel is essentially free of sulphur and aromatics, so its exhaust smells better than that of petroleum diesel gas; it actually smells like French fries or popcorn.