Massive Biodiesel Expansion from Rising Gas and Oil Prices
http://homemadebiodieselinfo.com/articles/33/1/Massive-Biodiesel-Expansion-from-Rising-Gas-and-Oil-Prices/Page1.html
Heath Allison
By Heath Allison
Published on 05/28/2008
There is a huge biodiesel expansion going on due to rising heating oil and gas prices that continue to climb over $4/gallon. See how entrepreneurs and big companies alike are preparing to capitalize on this ever growing market demand.
Rising gas prices caused a biodiesel expansion in the past few years. Biodiesel plants are expanding and others are opening their doors to creating the fuel that might replace traditional petroleum based fuels like gasoline and home heating oil.
With the expansion of the biodiesel market, people are realizing that biodiesel is a hot industry. Learning the craft of making biodiesel isn't very difficult. The biggest problem is purchasing the necessary equipment.
In some states, biodiesel plants are non-existent. Business professionals realize that they can tap into these empty markets and offer area residents a choice. Ending dependency on oil and gasoline is important. Especially as gas prices rise over $4 per gallon.
In 2005, approximately 75 million gallons of biodiesel were sold in the United States. By 2006, this figure had tripled. Estimations are that by 2010, plants within the U.S. will have expanded their capacity and can produce up to 600 million gallons of biodiesel per year.
There are downfalls to this new trend. Soy prices have skyrocketed in the past year. Corn prices are following. Because corn is a hot commodity, it is more expensive and many farmers are now feeling the pinch. Products that were once inexpensive and suitable feed for their cattle are now putting a solid dent in their minimal profits.
New research is coming up with solutions that solve these issues. Processing the oil found in algae may be one of the best solutions. Algae grow in many climates. All algae needs to thrive are nutrients, sunlight and moisture.
Algae farms are now popping up throughout the world. Even after the oil is extracted from the algae, the remaining pulp makes an excellent fertilizer or nutritional supplement so there is no remaining waste product.
For now, most of the biodiesel industry's expansion is based on used cooking oil. Fast food restaurants, Chinese take-outs, Indian eateries are a small number of the businesses that use thousands of gallons of cooking oil on a weekly basis. Disposing of old oil is problematic.
Used cooking oil can be filtered and turned into biodiesel. Cities throughout the United States are tapping into this branch of biodiesel. The cooking oil is essentially recycled and turned into a sustainable fuel source.
As more research is done on algae biodiesel, there is the potential for the biodiesel industry to expand in a new direction. Farmers will not need to worry about crops for their cattle and farm animals, and biodiesel creation will be able to soar to new heights.
If you are are concerned about biodiesel expansion and the rising costs associated with it, you might consider saving money by making your own biodiesel. It is surprisingly easy if you know how. For a step by step guide I highly recommend the Encyclopaedia of Making Biodiesel at Home.
With the expansion of the biodiesel market, people are realizing that biodiesel is a hot industry. Learning the craft of making biodiesel isn't very difficult. The biggest problem is purchasing the necessary equipment.
In some states, biodiesel plants are non-existent. Business professionals realize that they can tap into these empty markets and offer area residents a choice. Ending dependency on oil and gasoline is important. Especially as gas prices rise over $4 per gallon.
In 2005, approximately 75 million gallons of biodiesel were sold in the United States. By 2006, this figure had tripled. Estimations are that by 2010, plants within the U.S. will have expanded their capacity and can produce up to 600 million gallons of biodiesel per year.
There are downfalls to this new trend. Soy prices have skyrocketed in the past year. Corn prices are following. Because corn is a hot commodity, it is more expensive and many farmers are now feeling the pinch. Products that were once inexpensive and suitable feed for their cattle are now putting a solid dent in their minimal profits.
New research is coming up with solutions that solve these issues. Processing the oil found in algae may be one of the best solutions. Algae grow in many climates. All algae needs to thrive are nutrients, sunlight and moisture.
Algae farms are now popping up throughout the world. Even after the oil is extracted from the algae, the remaining pulp makes an excellent fertilizer or nutritional supplement so there is no remaining waste product.
For now, most of the biodiesel industry's expansion is based on used cooking oil. Fast food restaurants, Chinese take-outs, Indian eateries are a small number of the businesses that use thousands of gallons of cooking oil on a weekly basis. Disposing of old oil is problematic.
Used cooking oil can be filtered and turned into biodiesel. Cities throughout the United States are tapping into this branch of biodiesel. The cooking oil is essentially recycled and turned into a sustainable fuel source.
As more research is done on algae biodiesel, there is the potential for the biodiesel industry to expand in a new direction. Farmers will not need to worry about crops for their cattle and farm animals, and biodiesel creation will be able to soar to new heights.
If you are are concerned about biodiesel expansion and the rising costs associated with it, you might consider saving money by making your own biodiesel. It is surprisingly easy if you know how. For a step by step guide I highly recommend the Encyclopaedia of Making Biodiesel at Home.