pure plant oil as fuel - elsbett ltd
DESCRIPTION
Biofuels Seminar Joint Event with EnviroInnovate at the Birmingham City University Technology Innovation Centre 5th November 2008TRANSCRIPT
Pure Plant Oil
Is this a superior biofuel?
Ben Murphy / Jamie Onslow
Elsbett AG and Verdant Fuel Ltd
5th November 2008
Principal criteria for Biofuels
• Significant well-to-wheel CO2 reduction
• Environmental sustainability
• Social sustainability
• Worthwhile volumes
How do the main biofuels measure up?
Well-to-wheel CO2 savings
Source: RFA May / June monthly report 2008
Most of the volume is in low CO2 performance feedstock
Source: RFA May / June monthly report 2008
Environmental and social sustainability
Environmental
• Less than 30% of biofuels are meeting environmental standards. This may
improve but the high proportion of soy feedstock creates the potential for
destructive tropical land use change.
• Long supply chains, especially from beyond Europe, will make
environmental monitoring more difficult.
Social
• Social impacts are hard to judge but tropical cultivation associated with land
use change has potential to create social concerns.
• Soy oil yields per hectare are relatively low so larger areas are required for
the same quantity of fuel.
Available volumes
• Biofuels are similar to renewable power in that no single source can replace
all our fossil fuel use. But diversification of different energy sources creates
its own security.
• Biofuel feedstocks are finite and cannot fully replace fossil fuels.
Scarce biofuel feedstocks should be used
in the most CO2 efficient way.
Biodiesel production
Farming
Extraction
or
Crushing
Transesterification
Modify the oil
To suit the engine
But Transesterification has a
footprint of 470 grms CO2e per litre
VPO production
Farming
Extraction
or
Crushing
Modify the engine to suit the plant oil
• No chemical processing
• No additives
• The CO2e of the
conversion is recovered
within 70 litres of fuel
VPO – virgin plant oil
Unused pure plant oil
• Pure natural oil – no additives
• Rapeseed is preferred
• Sunflower, Jatropha are also good
• Soy oil causes engine damage long term
• Recycled UCO (cooking oil) is not suitable
• DIN 51605 is the minimum spec
Rapeseed Oil Fuel Standard
V DIN 51 605
Parameter Method Specification Unit
Density (15°C) DIN EN ISO
121185 900-930 kg/m3
Flash point DIN EN ISO
2719 min. 220 °C
Kin. viscosity(40°C) DIN EN ISO
3104 max. 36 mm2/s
Calorific value, lower DIN 51 900-2 min. 36000 kJ/kg
Cetane number IP 498 min. 39 -
Carbon residue DIN EN ISO
10370 max. 0.40 %(m/m)
Iodine value DIN EN 14111 95-125 g Iodine/100g
Sulphur content DIN EN ISO
20884 max. 10 mg/kg
Variable Properties
Total contaminates DIN EN 12662 max. 24 mg/kg
Acid value DIN EN 14104 max. 2 mg KOH/g
Oxidation stability
110°C DIN EN 14112 min. 6 h
Phosphorus content DIN EN 14107 max. 12 mg/kg
Earth alkali (Ca+Mg) E DIN EN 14538 max. 20 mg/kg
Ash content DIN EN ISO
6245 max. 0.01 %(m/m)
Water content DIN EN ISO
12937 max 750 mg/kg
VPO - UK farm produced fuel CO2 savings
Rapeoil 0.87 kgs CO2e/litre
Diesel 3.1 kgs CO2e/litre
Rapeoil 72% saving
• Assessed by leading
carbon management
experts
• Based on real farm data
Transport
2%
NOx
emissions
from
Fertiliser
46%
Energy in
Fertiliser
and
pesticide
production
30%
Extraction
process
17%
Farming
fuel
5%
How does VPO compare for CO2 savings?
• CO2 savings can be doubled by using VPO instead of rapeseed biodiesel
• VPO offers larger volumes and more reliable supply than waste feedstocks
RFA monthly reports May/June
Blended Biodiesel or VPO?
A truck running on VPO
• 40,000 litres of fuel with 90%
VPO = 36,000 litres
• 36,000 litres of VPO saving 2.25
Kg CO2e / litre =
81 Mt CO2
VPO is guaranteed to contain
no palm oil or soy oil and no
chemical additives.
A truck running on biodiesel
B5
• 40,000 litres of fuel = 2,000 litres of
biodiesel.
• 2,000 litres of biodiesel saving 1.25
Kg CO2e / litre =
2.5 Mt CO2
Historical background to VPO
• Rudolf Diesel and peanut oil
• The modern diesel engine is developed for EN590
• Rapid improvements in emissions limits and diesel engine performance are
based on EN590.
• OEM standards of reliability on a different fuel cannot be achieved without
years of operating experience and world class engine design expertise.
Plant oil diesel engines since 1973
• The famous Elsbett engine
• The first small diesel engine
• 1.4 litre, 3 cyl, Tdi
• Compare this to today’s VW Polo Blue Motion
• The Elsbett engine was multifuel
• Many thousands of diesel engines converted to run on
plant oil.
• Elsbett continues to develop pioneering technology.
Commercial vehicles
• Approximately 2000 converted HGVs and vans
• Over 100 million kms annually
• Insured warranty on new trucks
• Euro V compliant
Agriculture, Construction and heavy plant
• Hundreds of tractors, earthmoving equipment
• Gensets
• Even boats and trains
Passenger cars
• Several thousand cars worldwide
• 2 tank systems
• Elsbett’s unique one tank system
• Ultra-low CO2 Elsbett cars
• Running on Verdant fuel
• Insured warranty for new cars
40 grms (net) / km
VW Polo with Elsbett Technology and VPO
• Single tank technology no
electronic switching
• Official TÜV emissions tests
• EU homologated, Euro IV
• Full 3 yr insured warranty
• 600 mile range; multi-fuel
• Price similar to Polo Blue Motion
CO2e 50 grms net / km
How does this compare with
an electric car?
• For range
• For price
• For CO2e
• What is the well-to-wheel
analysis of an electric car?
King Report
• Electric vehicle
emissions depend on
power source
• Range of 30grms /
km to 80 grms / km
VPO – Environmental impact
• Rapeseed is not grown in tropical regions. It does not contribute to deforestation.
VPO – Environmental and social impact
• Rapeseed is grown in rotation with cereals as part of the
normal agricultural rotation
• Typical rotation is 1 year in 4.
• Rapeseed does require fertiliser but this is accounted for
in the well-to-wheel CO2e impact
• Rapeseed as a break crop helps to control weeds and
restore cereal yields
• Consecutive wheat cultivation loses about 10%
yield per year. Yields can be maintained with more
fertiliser which create more NOx emissions.
• Approximately 80% of the plant remains in the soil and
restores organic content.
• In a sustainable rotation with cereals, rapeseed helps to
maintain long term food yields.
VPO – the food vs fuel debate
• Rapeseed is not an essential food. People do not starve for the lack
of rapeseed oil.
• Are we growing rapeseed where we could grow food? Rapeseed in
sensible agricultural rotation helps maintain cereal food yields in the
long term.
• 1 litre of rapeseed also produces 2kg of animal feed which helps
food production.
• Using rapeseed for fuel does not materially increase demand for
other plant oils. Rapeseed is generally more expensive than other
plant oils so these have already substituted for rapeseed where this is
possible.
• In Europe, approximately 60% of rapeseed oil goes for biodiesel.
Oil for food is not restricted by supply.
Fried fish and chips or grilled fish, mashed potatoes
and some transport fuel.
=
+
VPO engine performance
Calorific value / litre
Diesel 35.7 MJ 100%
VPO 34.3 MJ 96%
Biodiesel 32.8 MJ 92%
• VPO has lower calorific value
than diesel.
• But the oxygen in the VPO
molecule leads to better
combustion which compensates.
• Independent tests between diesel
and VPO with Elsbett Technology
show no statistically significant
difference in fuel consumption.
• Vehicle operators report no
noticeable difference in engine
performance.
VPO impact on emissions
Emissions are a function of Elsbett Technology and VPO fuel
• Independent emissions tests have been conducted by
and other reputable institutes in Europe.
• The tests show consistent results. VPO achieves:
• Reduced HC emissions
• Reduced CO emissions
• Significant reduction in PM10 50%
• Elsbett technology can manage NOx emissions within Euro V for trucks.
Available volumes of VPO
• Current German VPO market is approx 650 million litres / yr
• More than half the UK annual biodiesel market
• 300 million litres / yr of rapeseed oil are used in UK biodiesel
• This would save an extra 140,000 tonnes of CO2 if used as VPO
• It would provide enough VPO for 150,000 cars or 8,000 HGVs
VPO can make a significant contribution to UK targets
The technology is available now
But it requires a level playing field with biodiesel
Taxation regime for transport fuel
UK tax on CO2Why is VPO overtaxed and LPG undertaxed?
0
5
10
15
20
25
biodiesel LPG VPO ULS Diesel
tax
p/k
g C
O2
How much is the net subsidy on VPO?
VPO subsidy as a fuel:
Full diesel tax = 50.35p plus VAT = 59.2p / litre
VPO fuel tax = 30.35p plus VAT = 35.7p / litre
Fuel subsidy = 23.5p / litre
Rapeseed oil subsidy as food:
Price per litre 1.17p per litre (Tesco 20 Sep 2008)
Subsidy = VAT exemption = 20.5p / litre
Tax penalty on VPO as a fuel vs food= 35.7p / litre
The net subsidy on VPO as fuel = 3p / litre
VPO in summary
• VPO has a high CO2 performance
•Worthwhile quantities are available
• VPO has a good environmental position
• VPO avoids creating social concerns
There is no incentive for the CO2 performance and the net
subsidy is negligible.