Born as an alternative to fully or partially replace Diesel oil used in large vehicles, the use of Biodiesel is proving to be a great advance in preserving the environment. Large Biodiesel production companies have discovered new ways of doing so, such as using Beef Tallow as a raw material in production, making the fuel even more favorable.

Diesel and Biodiesel: Environmental impacts and main differences

As many know, Diesel oil is a fuel of petroleum origin widely used by various automobiles, becoming the main fuel sold in Brazil. Even though the use of Diesel oil in large vehicles (such as buses and trucks) is favorable in several aspects, when it comes to the environment, the advantages plummet. Diesel releases numerous polluting gases into the atmosphere, such as: Sulfur (S), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Carbon Monoxide (CO). Excessive use of this fuel, in addition to causing health problems, greatly contributes to global warming.

Although Biodiesel makes up only 10% of the Diesel mix sold at gas stations, this number already benefits the environment immensely. The use of biofuel reduces emissions of Sulfur (S), Hydrocarbons (CH) and Carbon Monoxide (CO), the latter being a reduction of over 70%. Thus, it is clear that the use of Biodiesel has glaring advantages over Diesel oil, and when it comes to the environment, any advantage is valuable.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Biodiesel

Of course, despite being excellent in many aspects, Biodiesel also has some negative aspects. However, when compared to its benefits, especially when compared to Diesel oil, the negative aspects almost disappear. Below is a summary of the main disadvantages of using and producing Biodiesel, followed by the advantages of its use.

Disadvantages
When used at very low temperatures, the viscosity of Biodiesel increases, and as with Diesel, small crystals can form, which are harmful to engine operation.
Some older engines may need some adaptations to use Biodiesel. The good news is that such changes are simple and inexpensive.
The use of Biodiesel increases the emission of Nitrogen Oxide (NO), a gas that is harmful to the respiratory system. However, with some modifications to the engines and the use of additives, emissions are reduced.

There are disadvantages, but they can be easily avoided with some precautions.

Advantages
Biodiesel can increase the useful life of engines, as it is considered an excellent lubricant;
It is a renewable fuel;
Biodiesel production benefits the agricultural sector, as its raw material also derives from vegetable oils, extracted from soybeans, sunflowers, palm oil, cotton, castor oil plants, among others;
It is a clean fuel, which reduces emissions of polluting gases, which are harmful to the ozone layer and human health;
It is a fuel with a low risk of explosion, making its storage and transportation safer;
Brazil has an abundance of raw materials capable of producing Biodiesel. Therefore, the production of this biofuel cannot be considered expensive when compared to other fuels, especially if the other benefits of its use are taken into account.
Biodiesel uses Beef Tallow as a secondary raw material, which allows the use of this material, which would previously have been just another waste product.

Below are some data on the use of beef tallow in the production of Biodiesel:

Use of Beef Tallow in the production of Biodiesel in Brazil

Biodiesel production sectors have become one of the main consumers of Beef Tallow. According to data from ABRA (Brazilian Animal Recycling Association), approximately 37% of animal fat was used for Biodiesel production in 2018.

The advantage of using Beef Tallow as a raw material is clear. There is not only an environmental gain, but also a gain in production, because even though soybeans are the main raw material, in 2018 approximately 28% of Brazilian Biodiesel was produced using animal fat (ABRA data). This percentage greatly favors Biodiesel production figures, especially when it comes to Brazil, which in addition to being the largest producer of Soybeans in the world, is also the country with the largest cattle herd in the world. In other words, Biodiesel production is extremely favored within Brazilian territory.

The following graph shows the use of Beef Tallow in the regions of Brazil (Data from ABRA):

Although some regions have a lower use of beef tallow in biodiesel production, it is clear that this material is distributed throughout Brazil, demonstrating the abundance of raw materials for biodiesel production in the country.

Another benefit resulting from the use of Beef Tallow in biodiesel production is the assistance provided to small livestock farmers and family farmers by companies that produce this biofuel. To this end, the Secretariat of Family Agriculture and Cooperatives (SAF) created the Social Biofuel Seal Program, a biodiesel incentive program that aims to help small producers with resources and increase sales, given that the company that chooses to acquire the Seal is required to purchase a minimum percentage of raw materials from family farmers in the year of biodiesel production.

Biodiesel producing companies:

As already mentioned, the main biodiesel producing companies in the country are well distributed throughout the Brazilian territory. Below are the main biodiesel plants in the country, separated by region:

Although Brazil stands out in industries and raw materials for the production of biodiesel, it is still not the largest producer of this biofuel in the world. Are you curious to know who produces the most? Below is a detailed list of the five countries that produce the most biodiesel in the world (2018 data):

5th – China: Although China is almost the largest world power, its biodiesel production in 2018 was 3,099,000 tons, a relatively large amount, but which becomes small when compared to the first countries on the list.

4th – Germany: Germany is the largest producer of biofuel in Europe, and its biodiesel production reached 3,445,000 tons in 2018.

3rd – Indonesia: Far from being one of the world’s greatest powers, the third-placed country in the ranking of the largest biofuel producers in the world is Indonesia, with a surprising amount of 4,849,000 tons.

2nd – Brazil: In second place is our beloved Brazil. With a production that is way ahead of the previous countries, Brazil produced around 21,375,000 tons of biodiesel in 2018, a very high number, but incredibly still not the largest.

1st – United States: The United States of America stands out as the largest producer of Biodiesel in the world, with an astonishing 38,088,000 tons in 2018. This number represents about 40% of world production.

In conclusion

During the article, important characteristics related to Biodiesel were developed, both on a national and global scale. I hope that after reading it, not only the characteristics but also the main advantages and disadvantages of using this biofuel, which is so important for Brazil and the world, have become clear. If you have any questions, please contact ON Petro through the contact page.