U.S. Biodiesel production soon to increase 100x over 2004 levels!

[HoosierRon]

The chart shows that in 2004, U.S. biodiesel sales totaled 25 million gallons.
http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/f...ales_Graph.pdf

As of January 31, 2007, American biodiesel production capacity stands at 864 million gallons per year (read the endnote).
http://www.nbb.org/buyingbiodiesel/p...p-Existing.pdf

Currently, there are new construction and expansion projects that will increase American biodiesel production capacity by another 1.7 billion gallons per year. http://www.nbb.org/buyingbiodiesel/p...nstruction.pdf

Put it together, and it means that by next year, if the producers sell all they can make, sales would total over 2.5 billion gallons of biodiesel per year: more than 100 times the amount sold in 2004.

EDIT: Note that this does not include the recent ConocoPhillips - Tyson announcement. That partnership will add another 300 million gallons of biodielsel per year, bringing the total to 2.8 billion gallons per year, which is 140x the 2003 level!!!

[genjy]

Where's my diesel Mazda3 and diesel Mini Cooper (yes, they exist)?

[plane]

Hoosier Ron - Great links!!!!!

Did not realize that such a large refinery was being built so close to home. A local company started with 5 million gallons/year using proprietary technology. The new Grays Harbor plant will produce 100 million gallons per year, which is amazing. But then you read on....

Originally Posted by Imperium Renewables

We are in site developments that will deliver another 300 million gallons per year of capacity by the end of 2008.

http://www.imperiumrenewables.com/who.we.are.html

[HoosierRon]

The U.S. uses around 38 million gallons of diesel per day. (4,118 thousand barrels of "distillate fuel oil" per day = 1,503,070 barrels per year. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pe...s_mbblpd_a.htm) According to the definitions on that site, a barrel is 42 U.S. gallons. So the U.S. uses 63.1 million gallons of diesel per year.

2.8 billion gallons of biodiesel can make 14 billion gallons of B20. According to my math, that is enough B20 to replace 22% of the diesel fuel in the country with B20. Alternatively, it would be enough to replace 88% of diesel with B5.

Now consider that the biodiesel from animal fat sector is just taking off (the ConocoPhillips Tyson plant is only the beginning), and suddenly you realize that there is a real future for biodiesel.

[Ramair-WS6]

Don't forget the algae processes that are just starting to come on-line.

[Commodore]

That's very good. Now if only GM brings those European diesel engines here. And produce the Volt.

The solution to our fuel problem is to use many different kinds of fuels, not just biodiesel or ethanol or hydrogen. Just when cars first emerged, some ran on electricity, others on coal or steam, and of course eventually 99% ended up running on gasoline. The next generation of cars need to do the same, we really have to reinvent the automobile completely and have it run on many different fuel sources until one emerges as the best choice to power our cars with. The biggest problem with ethanol is that there aren't enough ethanol stations. The technology is here and its affordable (and in fact many people own FlexFuel vehicles), but it hasn't seen widespread usage yet because of a lack of places that sell ethanol. Why doesn't ExxonMobil and Chevron and all the other oil giants, being the most profitable American companies with $40+ Billion in PROFITS take that money and invest it into converting the majority of its gas stations in places like California (where there is a huge demand for alternative fuels and a big tree-hugger green movement) and convert those gas stations into places that sell not only gasoline, but E10 (which all cars can run on), E85, E100, B100, diesel, and hydrogen (all at one station). Ethanol would see a surge in usage if that were to happen and, in a place like California where gas prices are higher than in other parts of the country, ethanol can still be competitively priced. Over time, with Cali being a 50+ million people state, more ethanol will be produced to meet demand and the price would go down.

Next comes hydrogen: BMW has the right approach here by giving Hydrogen 7 series' to affluent people because hydrogen is still a costly technology. The rich should lead the way with using that technology and others like it and this will eventually bringing prices down (just as they did with cars in the early 20th century when only the richest had the privilege of owning cars).

Hybrid cars like the ones Toyota is pushing aren't a viable solution to our energy debacle. Those cars still use gasoline and, even though they use it in smaller amounts, hydrid cars are unappealing and they only increase mileage by a few MPG (take Saturn's Aura GL or the Prius with its overstated MPG rating). More and more cars are on the road every year (especially in rapidly developing countries like China and India) which negates the effect of few more MPG offered by hybrids (I seriously doubt Chinese and Indians would pay $2,000-5,000 extra to have a hybrid. A little gas saved thanks to hybrids is irrelevant because while Americans are shelling out a few thousand more to get the hybrid version of a car, the regular old cars being sold in developing nations is exponentially increasing which outways any kind of benefit we might receive by driving hybrids. When you think about that, you can see why hybrids won't slow down the polution of our world (I am not sold on global warming, but we should all actknowlege that cars = burning fuels = polution), instead hybrids as I view them are an expensive step in taking a stand against being dependant on oil...while still continuing to use it. Fully hydrid/electrical cars on the other hand are a slightly more viable solution. Again, instead of squeezing into those Toyota Prius appliences, celebrities and other afluent people can buy...a Tesla Roadster? Yup, fully electrical, yes it's expensive, but not gas motor whatsoever unlike the Prius.

If energy companies stepped up and provided the infastructure to power these alternative fuel cars in places like California, soon the trend would spill to other parts of the nation and the overall cost would go down.

What do you guys think?

[john1701a]

Originally Posted by Commodore

Hybrid cars like the ones Toyota is pushing aren't a viable solution to our energy debacle. Those cars still use gasoline and, even though they use it in smaller amounts, hydrid cars are unappealing and they only increase mileage by a few MPG (take Saturn's Aura GL or the Prius with its overstated MPG rating).

The "full" hybrid platform used by Prius (which delivers a real-world average of 48 MPG) can easily be adapted to support a larger battery-pack with a plug. GM intends to deliver a system with similar adaptability. Non-Hybrid vehicles cannot even remotely compete with that.

JOHN

[HoosierRon]

Every bit helps. Will hybrids eliminate our need for foreign oil? No. But vehicles with GM's two-mode hybrid system will use less foreign oil than they would without the system. So it helps.

[Commodore]

Originally Posted by john1701a

The "full" hybrid platform used by Prius (which delivers a real-world average of 48 MPG) can easily be adapted to support a larger battery-pack with a plug. GM intends to deliver a system with similar adaptability. Non-Hybrid vehicles cannot even remotely compete with that.

JOHN

Oh I know. I've seen the Prius be modified/coverted into all sorts of things (including making cars like it power a buildings, which also power/charge cars on the road in a sort of grid system - all using electricity).

I was simply saying that we are so focused on hybrids right now. There is so much buzz about them - everyone is just "hybrids, Hybrids, HYBRIDS!!" when these types of cars aren't a solution to get completely away from oil. What I suggested will eventually get us 100% non-dependant on oil.

[plane]

Originally Posted by Commodore

What do you guys think?

Great post. Welcome to GMI Commodore!

[Commodore]

Thanks x 2

[CaptainDan]

Originally Posted by HoosierRon

Every bit helps. Will hybrids eliminate our need for foreign oil? No. But vehicles with GM's two-mode hybrid system will use less foreign oil than they would without the system. So it helps.

The PARTIAL hybrid system (parallel) used in the Prius is certainly better than nothing. But it doesn't compare to a full hybrid system (series) which the Volt would employ. The Volt's gas engine (or Diesel or ethanol, or hydrogen or whatever) NEVER directly powers the car. This allows the maximum economy due to the gas engine running at only one speed (the most economical) when (if) it is needed. The prius' engine wil still rev up and down (wasteful) as it's load dictates. Plus the Volt lacks the entire second drivetrain (transmission, differential, driveshafts, etc. required for the second engine to drive the car independantly)

[HoosierRon]

Originally Posted by CaptainDan

The PARTIAL hybrid system (parallel) used in the Prius is certainly better than nothing. But it doesn't compare to a full hybrid system (series) which the Volt would employ. The Volt's gas engine (or Diesel or ethanol, or hydrogen or whatever) NEVER directly powers the car. This allows the maximum economy due to the gas engine running at only one speed (the most economical) when (if) it is needed. The prius' engine wil still rev up and down (wasteful) as it's load dictates. Plus the Volt lacks the entire second drivetrain (transmission, differential, driveshafts, etc. required for the second engine to drive the car independantly)

This is why I think GM is wasting too much energy (no pun intended) on getting to Volt to go 40 miles on just electricity. Even if it goes only 20 miles before the motor has to kick in, it still will get much better milage than anything else. I say: get the 20 miler out there, and then spend time improving it. Heck, that will give people reason to trade in on the new model.

[Wolfman01]

Originally Posted by Commodore

Oh I know. I've seen the Prius be modified/coverted into all sorts of things (including making cars like it power a buildings, which also power/charge cars on the road in a sort of grid system - all using electricity).

I was simply saying that we are so focused on hybrids right now. There is so much buzz about them - everyone is just "hybrids, Hybrids, HYBRIDS!!" when these types of cars aren't a solution to get completely away from oil. What I suggested will eventually get us 100% non-dependant on oil.

Hybrids also allow the automakers to bring on new technology in steps that the public will accept. Much of the tech you see in full hybrid cars will scale over to ethanol, biodiiesel, and fuel cells. The industry has spent plenty of money on determining what the public will and will not accept in favor of how much change their familliar ol' car receives. Their studies show that the the public will largely reject a car that is radically different from what they are trading in. With all of the whining done here, and on other car forums regarding hybrids, I am forced to agree with their conclusions.

[Wolfman01]

Originally Posted by CaptainDan

The PARTIAL hybrid system (parallel) used in the Prius is certainly better than nothing. But it doesn't compare to a full hybrid system (series) which the Volt would employ. The Volt's gas engine (or Diesel or ethanol, or hydrogen or whatever) NEVER directly powers the car. This allows the maximum economy due to the gas engine running at only one speed (the most economical) when (if) it is needed. The prius' engine wil still rev up and down (wasteful) as it's load dictates. Plus the Volt lacks the entire second drivetrain (transmission, differential, driveshafts, etc. required for the second engine to drive the car independantly)

Prius is NOT a partial hybrid system. BAS, and Honda's systems are "partial." Neither system is capable of moving a car soley under electric power.