1. Brendan wrote 6 months ago

   Hi, I was thinking of making getting a diesel car with the intention of running it on biodiesel.
   Does anyone know any where you can get biodiesel in Dublin?
   Or whether or not this is actually a good Idea?

2. 

   Busybee replied 6 months ago

   Hi Brendan
   There are quite a few places, I have a few friends who have converted in fact I should draw up a list for you. In the meantime here's a site of a friend of ours who does conversions. http://www.ecocar.ie/

3. Brendan replied 6 months ago

   Thanks for the info. I was under the impression that most diesel cars didn't need to be converted to run on biodiesel?

4. 

   Busybee replied 6 months ago

   I'm not too sure about that, contact Alan at Eco car and he will give you the low down. However I'm pretty sure you need some kind of conversion. Let me know when you find out more info.

5. Brendan replied 6 months ago

   Alan got back got back to me with a quote, which wasn't to bad but just a little out of my budget at the moment.
   But I did a bit of research and it seems all nearly all diesel engines can run on biodiesel although no manufacturers except VW are actively encouraging it. The conversion is only necessary if want to run your car on pure vegetable oil - which is the better option environmentally though.

6. 

   Busybee replied 6 months ago

   Good to hear Brendan, the Biodisel issues is a topical one albeit a controversial one. This article in The New Scientist http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn13289-biofuels-emissions-may-be-worse-than-petrol.html outlines some of the more negative effects of the biodisel debate. Have a read through :-)

7. Brendan replied 6 months ago

   It is a very interesting debate, and I think the key to the issue - as with all environmental issues - is sustainable management. E.g. "If 10,000 square metres of Brazilian rainforest is cleared to make way for soya beans – which are used to make biodiesel – over 700,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide is released." this quote taken from the article is an example of how people are ignorant to sustainability, you'd have insane to even consider doing such a thing! It's also important to differentiate between different biofuels most of the debate centres around bioethanol produced from cereal crops. Bioethanol is used in petrol cars. Biodiesel meanwhile can be produced from waste oil meaning that up to a <b>certain capacity</b> it has very good potential. So I suppose what I'm hoping to find is somebody who is producing Biodiesel from waste oils in Ireland.

8. 

   doctoral replied 6 months ago

   If I may add my bit to this guys,

   Firstly it is worth differentiating between Bio -diesel and pure vegetable oil. Look this up http://bloomingfutures.com/ppo_vs_biodiesel_faq.html.

   Bio diesel is being produced but is mixed in low concentrations with the diesel at the pumps.

   Vegetable oil crops have been grown as a rotation with cereal crops for many generations. Rapeseed oil, especially if it is grown organically and used in a modified engine is the most efficient liquid bio-fuel in terms of cost, performance and evironmental factors.
   It can be processed in small, low-cost, de-centralised facilities and then made availble to the local market along with the "seed cake" which is a valuable fodder that can replace impored soy protein from Brazil. Bio-diesel is made in large expensive refineries adding to the levels or road haulage and emissions.
   As with most things there are good ways and bad ways to accomplish things.

   Read further into the biofuel debate and you'll discover that most soy and palm oil goes to the food and cosmetics industry. Become a vegetarian and instantly reduce your environmental impact and your health.

9. Brendan replied 6 months ago

   Thanks Doctoral & Busybee. There's some good information there. After reading up a bit more I'm leaning towards spending the extra money to convert the engine to use vegetable oil, just have to make sure I can find a good sustainable supplier.

10. 

    doctoral replied 6 months ago

    Dear Brendan. If one applies sustainability rules to the use of bio fuels for your transport, you need to look at reducing the consumption by approximately 90%. This is a guesstimate based on the land area available and providing an equal share to everyone.

11. 

    Natasha replied 6 months ago

    hi guys, am new to the site and a wondering if there is a list is for places selling bio-fuel in dublin. I have a business and do some deliveries round town.

12. 

    Busybee replied 6 months ago

    Hi Natasha

    I suppose it depends on the type of bio-fuel you use? I know that Maxol have a list of stations listed here, www.maxol.ie/maxol-bioethanol-e85.html that shows where they have stations around the country for Bioethanol E85.

13. 

    aya replied 2 months ago

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyXk7Mk1mas
    thought this was interesting...still needs a sugartype foodlike substance to get the algea to produce oil but at least it can be different (local!) crops....check it out thought it deserves a look!

14. bonzobarley replied about 1 month ago

    Brendan, interesting point about biodiesel causing deforestation. I write articles for a climate change website called BBC Bloom, ended up speaking a lot to a guy called Dr Paul Upham at the Tyndall Centre. He did a back-of-the-proverbial calculation that in a worst case scenario, it would take over 5000 years to offset all of the CO2 that would be released into the atmosphere by converting Brazilian forest to soya for biodiesel...

    There are links to sustainable suppliers inside the article. Hope this helps:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/bloom/flash.shtml?cc_start_screen=browse#/actions/biofuels.shtml

You must be logged in and a member of this group to reply.