Power from Renewable Liquid Fuels for Cat Generators
Renewable liquid fuels are becoming a more popular choice among customers seeking to reduce the impact of their operations on the environment.
What are Renewable Liquid Fuels?
Renewable liquid fuels are produced from renewable resources such as agricultural products – vegetable oils including soybean oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, etc. – used cooking oils, and animal fats. While the resources may vary globally, finished fuel specifications are independent of the feedstock.
There are two main renewable liquid fuels readily available for end users and acceptable for use in Cat engines:
Biodiesel and HVO are sourced from the same feedstocks but differ in the processing and in the final product chemistry.
Both fuels can be used “neat” or blended with conventional diesel to various percentages.
Benefits:
Biodiesel and HVO have rather similar advantages relative to diesel and other fossil fuels, while the magnitude of these advantages may differ:
1. Reduced carbon intensity of engine operation
2. Reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
3. Reduced emissions of carbon monoxide, particulate matter (PM), and sulfates, as well as hydrocarbon and air toxics emissions
4. Both fuels turn free solar energy and atmospheric carbon dioxide into fuel that displaces fossil fuels
5. Water conservation: biodiesel production reduces wastewater relative to the production of petroleum-based fuels
6. Biodiesel is nontoxic and biodegradable