How To Make Biodiesel

Sep. 24–SYRACUSE — On a recent evening at Graydon Blair’s home in western Davis County, his 1984 diesel-engine Mazda pickup truck purred in the driveway, its exhaust barely visible and smelling distinctly of french fries. “That’s the smell of freedom,” said Blair, who began experimenting about three years ago with biodiesel, an alternative motor fuel made from used cooking oil or other organic materials. With diesel prices hovering near record levels at about $3.50 per gallon in Utah and air quality a mounting concern, a growing number of residents are taking matters into their own hands and making their own biodiesel at home. While the homemade fuel is not legal for commercial sale, “homebrewers” like Blair say it saves them a lot of money on transportation costs while reducing air pollution and making use of a product that used to end up at the local dump. “There are a lot of economic as well as environmental benefits,” he said. Most homebrewers get their main ingredient from local restaurants, which typically will give away their used cooking oil. Lye and methanol is added to the oil to initiate the chemical reactions that separate the usable fuel from the glycerin. Once separated, the oil is “washed” with water and dried to reveal the finished product — a clear, golden, semi-viscous liquid that is biodegradable and can reduce automobile emissions by as much as 80 percent. In addition to his day job, Blair runs Utah Biodiesel Supply, a company that sells equipment to both new and experienced biodiesel homebrewers. Among other equipment, Utah Biodiesel Supply sells an automated machine that takes much of the hassle out of making the fuel. The machine sells for about $8,000, but with current fuel prices, the machine pays for itself after as little as 2,800 gallons, he said. For those who may not have thousands of dollars to invest, there are simpler methods for a few hundred dollars that can get people started on their own operation, Blair said. Homemade biodiesel typically costs about 75 cents per gallon, depending on the quality of the oil and equipment used, he said. It usually takes about four hours of labor and another three or four days to process. Kevin Newman, a homebrewer and avid biodiesel enthusiast from Magna, often works with Blair in experimenting with ways to make the fuel cleaner and more efficient. He said he has already made about 4,000 gallons of biodiesel this year and has no plans to slow down. “I haven’t been to a gas station since February or March,” said Newman, who runs a pure B100 fuel in his 2004 Dodge truck. Biodiesel users will see an average drop of about 8 percent in fuel mileage and engine power, Newman said, but nothing significant enough to make its use impractical. Even the byproducts of making biodiesel can be useful. Much of the glycerin from Blair and Newman’s production goes to a sewage treatment plant in Utah County where bacteria in the wastewater eat it and produce methane gas that is used to power the plant. Blair said biodiesel can be a key to reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil, which he said could save the country billions of dollars annually and help improve political stability on a global scale. “This could be a major step toward our energy independence.” Credit: Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah

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