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Lots of drivers and public administrators today are comparing various kinds of fuel for looking at how to best chart a road map for a brighter future. But in analyzing ethanol vs. biodiesel fuels, it’s disingenuous to pretend there is an easy answer: the relative ‘worth’ of these fuels depends on many factors.
Ethanol is primarily made from corn, as lots of Americans have found out recently, with ethanol being poured into our unleaded pumps, and cars made to run on an E85, or ethanol gasoline mixture. Biodiesel is a non-petroleum-based diesel fuel consisting of short chain alkyl esters, made by transesterification of vegetable oil or animal fat; what this means in plain English is that biodiesel can be made from handy industrial by-products like used fryer oil.
In terms of straight energy output, biodiesel seems to win out. Ethanol is estimated to produce around 23.5MJ/L (mega-joules per liter); biodiesel can get up to over 30 MJ/L, just a bit lower than conventional diesel fuel.
In addition, because biodiesel can be made from restaurant waste products, it seems like a winner. Biodiesel also lubricates an engine naturally, providing less wear and tear on a diesel vehicle.
But, it seems, the U.S. government has already picked its horse, with massive subsidies of ethanol. Meanwhile, those trying to make biodiesel at home have found its use considered borderline illegal in many states.
Proponents of ethanol would argue that it burns relatively clean and point to corn as a renewable resource. And it’s clear that both ethanol and biodiesel have a great advantages over conventional gasoline in avoiding carcinogens like benzine and producing far less carbon emissions.
With today’s ethanol production possibly affecting world food production, it seems the value of ethanol depends somewhat on how the production is planned. For many, the jury’s still out on what is the best biofuel for the new millennium.
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