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Biodiesel Doesn't Cost the Earth...
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Diesel
Price Comparator
Costs of producing biodiesel
have escalated due to the huge increase in value of waste cooking
oil - now approx 55p/litre. Large companies are trying to
monopolise the waste oil collection industry and are also selling
the waste oil abroad.
When buying
in waste oils - as most biodiesel producers have to - it is impossible to sell
for less than £1.17.5p/litre without making a loss. At the same time, the
petroleum oil industry and the food industry are making record profits.
We are not marketing biodiesel as a cheap alternative to fossil
diesel but as an environmentally friendly fuel, produced from
locally collected used vegetable oil. While our prices are
currently competing with local fuel suppliers,
we anticipate
keeping the cost of biodiesel below the cost of diesel as the forecourt
prices rise.
Some organisations are
marketing biodiesel as a cheap alternative - beware! Quality
biodiesel costs roughly 3 times as much to make than fossil fuels
hence the government tried to kickstart the industry in 2003 with
a reduction in duty as an incentive. On a small production scale
the costs are much higher relatively and other companies may be
forced to cut corners to make profits - rushing through the
process and using undesirable fats which results in poor quality
fuel. When used in low blends with mineral fuel quality may not be
such an issue - but poor quality fuel will not run well as 100%
biodiesel.
Always ask if the fuel has met
quality standards - random samples of our biodiesel have undergone
successful tests with Thermo Fischer Scientific and meet the
EN14214 standards. It is difficult to achieve the EU standard
using used vegetable oils and we are proud of the quality of our
biodiesel.
People and the Planet before
Profits!
Here is a
sample breakdown of recent biodiesel prices compared to the recent prices of low sulphur
diesel:
Example:
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Low Sulphur
Diesel(approx):
Duty 50p
Production 23p
VAT 19p
Retailer
5p*
Delivery
6p
Gross
Profit 27p
Total
130p
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Biodiesel:
Duty 30p
Production 70p
VAT 21p
Gross
Profit 20p
Total
141p
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Only less than 5% of income is
retained in local economy.*
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Government taxes over 50%.
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Multinational petroleum
companies make record profits.
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Remainder is government taxes.
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Biodiesel production costs
greater than 3 times costs of petroleum industry.
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Seems crazy but consider how
much subsidy petro-industry has,
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Environmental costs of petro-industry
not included.
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Biodiesel is sold at an honest price - no hidden environmental
costs.
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Sundance
are
able to supply Biodiesel off the pump or in 25litre containers or 1,000litre IBCs
(industrial bulk carriers). We also offer a local collection
service of used vegetable oil for local businesses and organisations.
Please contact us for more information.
While
we strive to promote biodiesel as a clean, sustainable and
realistic alternative to fossil diesel, inevitably other organic
fuels are being tried and tested which may be made from mixtures
of filtered vegetable oil with white spirit, turps or even
kerosene. These fuels may damage your engine and
unfortunately tarnish the reputation of approved biofuels.
Also do
not confuse biodiesel with straight vegetable oil - while this may
be used successfully in diesel engines, it requires a special
vehicle conversion and emissions are around four times that of
biodiesel. Neither biofuels made from waste filtered
vegetable oil mixed with additives or straight vegetable oil are
approved fuels. Biodiesel on the other hand IS an approved
fuel of diesel quality and can be mixed in any quantity with
ordinary mineral diesel.
To
qualify as biodiesel the glycerine by-product must be extracted
from the vegetable oil base and this is done through the process
of transesterification - if it ain't transesterified, it ain't
biodiesel! To run a transesterification plant it is
necessary to acquire a PPC permit from the Environment Agency.
Please
beware of these imitation fuels and always check whether the fuel you are
using has been certified to meet the European quality standard!
For more
information on biodiesel and imitation fuels please visit
Allied Biodiesel Industries UK.
 
Thank you for
considering Biodiesel and for showing concern for the Environment.
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