The current E10 formulation of ordinary unleaded gasoline marketed in the UK specifies that the fuel includes up to 10% bioethanol. Some premium fuels are still made with the earlier E5 formula, which indicates that up to 5% of the biofuel is used. Meanwhile, diesel sold in the United Kingdom contains up to 7% biodiesel. It’s identified as B7 on all forecourts across the country.
How much biodiesel is used in the UK?
Figure 1.1 summarizes biofuels sourced in the United Kingdom that have been reported under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (i.e. the biofuels used in the UK that are made from UK feedstocks). Crops and by-products have been included to demonstrate different feedstock proportions. Figures for biofuel usage in road transport in 2020 (year runs from January to December) are tentative and based on current data; see Annex B for further information on the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO).
Figure 1.1: Volume of UK sourced biofuels supplied to the UK road transport market by crop type and waste/residue, 2020 (a)(b)
(c) The volumes of biodiesel and bioethanol are reported in litres, while the volumes of biogas are reported in kilos.
(e) Biomethane, biopropane, biopetrol, off-road diesel, biodiesel, and pure vegetable oil are examples of “other.”
In 2020, the total volume of biofuels sourced in the United Kingdom was 293 million litres / kg.
This was a 5% rise over the previous year’s total.
The volume of biodiesel sourced in the UK for UK road transport was 126 million litres in 2020. The number for bioethanol was 116 million litres.
What percentage of diesel is biodiesel?
Vehicles that run on biodiesel and regular diesel are identical. Although light, medium, and heavy-duty diesel vehicles are not strictly alternative fuel vehicles, they can almost all run on biodiesel blends. The most popular biodiesel mix is B20, which contains anywhere from 6% to 20% biodiesel and petroleum diesel. However, B5 (a biodiesel mix containing 5% biodiesel and 95% diesel) is widely utilized in fleet cars. Many diesel vehicles can run on B20 and lower-level blends without any engine modifications.
Biodiesel increases the fuel’s cetane number and improves its lubricity. A greater cetane number indicates that the engine will start more easily and with less delay. To keep moving parts from wearing down prematurely, diesel engines rely on the lubricity of the fuel. Improved lubricity decreases friction between moving parts, resulting in less wear. Biodiesel has a number of advantages, one of which is that it can improve the lubricity of the fuel at mix levels as low as 1%.
B5 is approved by all original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). However, verify the OEM engine warranty to see if higher-level mixes of this alternative fuel, such as B20, are acceptable. For more information on OEM certifications for biodiesel use in automobiles, go to the Clean Fuels Alliance America website.
Can diesel engines run on 100% biodiesel?
No, biodiesel is made through a chemical process known as transesterification, which turns natural oils and fats into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Vegetable oil combustion without conversion to biodiesel results in soot deposition and deposits, which can cause power loss and engine failure. See What Is Biodiesel for more information.
If your vehicle was built before 1993, the rubber gasoline lines will almost certainly need to be replaced. One of the most significant advantages of using biodiesel is that it can be utilized in existing diesel engines without compromising performance. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel for heavy-duty vehicles that does not necessitate specific injection or storage.
It’s worth noting that newer diesel Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes cars (2007 or after) feature a fuel system with a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) that can cause fuel/oil dilution in the diesel engine, regardless of whether diesel or biodiesel fuel is used. If certain safeguards are not taken, the engine oil may be diluted by the fuel over time. One suggestion is to make sure you use your diesel engine on a regular basis. Furthermore, if you use 100 percent biodiesel in these vehicles, you must change the oil at least every 3,000 miles and keep an eye on the oil level (this is not an issue with vehicles using biodiesel blends, such as B20). If you have any questions, please contact our biodiesel fuel experts.
“Federal law forbids the voiding of a warranty solely because biodiesel was used,” the US Department of Energy explains in its Biodiesel Handling & Use Guide. The failure would have to be traced back to the biodiesel. If an engine fails due to biodiesel use (or any other external circumstance, such as dirty diesel fuel), the damage may not be covered by the manufacturer’s guarantee.”
No, biodiesel may only be used in diesel engines with a compression ignition system.
Biodiesel functions as a solvent. It will remove a lot of the diesel deposits that have built up in your fuel tank. This may cause early fuel filter clogging, but it will not result in a higher frequency of filter changes if you continue to use biodiesel.
Vehicles that run on biodiesel achieve nearly the same MPG as those that run on petroleum. Find out more.
Yes, biodiesel can help you get more mileage out of your engine. Biodiesel has better lubricating characteristics, which helps to keep crucial engine parts from wearing out.
Using biodiesel instead of petrodiesel will dramatically reduce tail pipe emissions of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter. Sulfur oxides and sulfates, which are important contributors to acid rain, will be almost eliminated. Nitrogen oxide emissions may rise slightly, however this can be mitigated by the use of newer low-emission diesel engines. Find out more.
Click here to see a complete list of filling stations that sell biodiesel.
Petrodiesel is not present in pure biodiesel, B100 (100 percent biodiesel). Biodiesel can be combined with petrodiesel and sold as B20 (20% biodiesel, 80% petrodiesel blend) or B5 (50 percent biodiesel, 50 percent petrodiesel blend) (5 percent biodiesel, 95 percent petrodiesel blend).
Can you buy biodiesel in the UK?
Today is the day to make the switch to biodiesel. Crown Oil is a national supplier of premium biodiesel (minimum order 10,000 litres), an environmentally beneficial alternative to diesel, throughout the United Kingdom. However, upon request, we may provide larger ratios of biodiesel to satisfy your needs.
Is biodiesel available in UK?
Biofuel-only cars aren’t extensively produced commercially, so you won’t be able to go into a car dealership and drive one off the lot anytime soon.
Biofuels, on the other hand, are already used in UK cars as part of blended fuels, which are petrol and diesel with a set proportion of biofuel added to make them more environmentally friendly.
Standard unleaded fuel, which is accessible on forecourts across the UK, currently contains up to 5% bioethanol, while regular diesel already contains up to 5% biodiesel. This does not necessarily imply that the fuel contains 5% biofuel; rather, it could contain any amount of biofuel up to 5%.
Only a small percentage of vehicles run purely on biofuels, according to Department of Transport figures. In 2017/18, only 3% of total road and non-road mobile machinery ran solely on renewable fuel, the most popular of which was cooking oil.
How much biofuel does the UK import?
According to new Defra estimates, only 15% of crop-derived biofuel used in UK transportation is farmed on British farms. This is despite a 17 percent increase in the amount of UK-sourced biofuels used in the country’s vehicles from 2012-13 to 2013-14, to 332 million litres.
Can biodiesel damage your engine?
Poor-quality biodiesel may not have an immediate influence on the running of your engine, but deposits, corrosion, and damage can build up over time until your engine breaks catastrophically.
Does all diesel contain biodiesel?
Biodiesel in its purest form is rarely utilized. It’s usually combined with diesel and labeled according to how much diesel it contains. According to Edmunds, biodiesel may be found in practically all “normal” fuel sold at petrol stations in the United States, with blends as high as B5. While many drivers of diesel trucks and cars are unaware that the fuel they put in their vehicles contains 5% biodiesel, fleet operators actively seek nonpetroleum fuel. In fact, B20, a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% gasoline, is used in many fleet and commercial vehicles.
The cost of manufacturing biodiesel is comparable to the cost of producing petroleum. Federal initiatives that give incentives have helped to keep market prices competitive. Biodiesel has also benefited from federal low-sulfur diesel fuel requirements.