Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the difference between Bio Diesel and Renewable Diesel

Both bio diesel and renewable diesel is produced from vegetable oils, greases, or animal fats which are derived primarily from food industry wastes. Both fuels are not reliant on fossil crude oil. Although they’re both derived from the same or similar feedstocks, these fuels have very different production processes that produce two very different types of end fuels.

Bio diesel – Also known as fatty acid methyl ester or FAME, bio diesel is basically created through a chemical wash process. After being purified, bio diesel is typically blended with petroleum diesel at a 5% to 20% ratio.
Renewable diesel – Also known as hydro-treated vegetable oil or HVO, renewable diesel is produced using a full-scale refining process. Renewable diesel is chemically similar to petroleum diesel and is generally used without blending. Renewable diesel stores better than bio-diesel. It also has a higher cetane rating, which results in a very clean and powerful burn.

How does using renewable diesel help the environment? You're still burning and pumping carbon into the atmosphere.

It is true that burning renewable diesel adds carbon to the atmosphere. The benefit with renewable diesel is that the carbon is coming from a source that removed carbon from the atmosphere in the first place. There is a complete circle that can be duplicated over and over again, without hurting the enviornment:

A tree grows and absorbs carbon from the atmosphere.
Woody waste such as bark, sawdust, or limbs are sent for refining.
The carbon is captured and turned into renewable diesel.
Renewable diesel is burned, releasing carbon back into the atmosphere.
A tree grows, absorbs carbon, and the process starts all over.

The process for fossil/petroleum diesel is much different. Carbon molecules are stored underground (where it isn't hurting the environment) in crude oil. The crude is pumped to the surface, refined, and burned, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. That's it! There is no collection circle, just a continual addition of carbon into the atmosphere causing global climate change as more and more carbon is pulled from underground.