Two biofuels commonly used today in Atlantic Canada are ethanol and biodiesel, which are blended in gasoline and diesel, respectively. Ethanol and biodiesel are considered renewable fuels because they are produced from biomass.

What is biodiesel?

Biodiesel is also known as FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester). It is a renewable biodegradable alternative fuel substitute made from renewable materials such as:

  • Plant oils (canola, soy, flax, etc.);
  • Waste cooking oil;
  • Other oils (fish, algae, etc.); and,
  • Animal fats (beef or sheep tallow, pork lard, poultry fat, etc.).

When referring to these materials, they are often called feedstock. When biodiesel is created through a chemical reaction between fats in feedstocks with an alcohol (usually methanol or ethanol) and a catalyst. This reaction produces two products, one of which is biodiesel.

This biodiesel is then mixed with diesel fuel in varying percentages. It is often referred to as “B100, pure, or neat biodiesel” until its mixed.

FAME is not a hydrocarbon fuel like petroleum diesel, so it differs in several ways:

  • biodiesel contains oxygen, so it has less energy by volume (7%);
  • a higher oxygen content of FAME can limit the time it can be stored (oxidation that causes corrosion);
  • biodiesel’s chemical composition means microbial fouling can happen more often (can lead to clogging of fuel lines, etc.); and,
  • FAME biodiesel has a relatively high temperature where it will begin to freeze and form visible crystals.

How does biodiesel work?

For the reasons above, FAME biodiesel is often blended with conventional diesel. The two most common blends are B5 (containing up to 5% biodiesel) and B20 (containing anywhere from 6 to 20% biodiesel). In general, the blends that have a smaller percentage of biodiesel perform better in colder temperatures.

What is ethanol:

Ethanol is the leading renewable fuel in Canada with approximately 2.9 billion litres blended into the gasoline supply every year. It is a liquid alcohol made of oxygen, hydrogen and carbon and gathered from the fermentation of sugar or converted starch from grains. In Canada, ethanol is made primarily from corn and wheat.

Ethanol is used for many different things, although one of the most common uses is in fuel. The ethanol that is used in fuel is often referred to as “fuel ethanol.” Fuel ethanol has been distilled and dehydrated to create a water-free alcohol, because the water cannot be mixed with gasoline.

How does ethanol work?

Ethanol is blended with gasoline to produce a fuel that has environmental advantages in comparison to gasoline. Most gasoline-powered vehicles can run on a blend of up to 10% ethanol, which is available at some regular service stations across Canada. This blend is often called “E10”.

Most vehicles after 2001 can handle E10, however there are engines called “flex-fuel engines” that can handle up to E85 (85% ethanol). These flex-fuel engines can run on any mixture from pure gasoline to 85% ethanol without any need to switch over when using different blends of fuel.

Where do biodiesel and ethanol come from?

The supply of biodiesel and ethanol used in gasoline and diesel in Atlantic Canada are both imported.

In Atlantic Canada, biodiesel can come from fish waste and cooking oil primarily, but because there are limited crops to support wide scale production, biodiesel is mostly imported Western Canada, or from other countries. However, technologies are emerging that hopes to produce ethanol from agricultural residue, woody biomass and even municipal solid waste.

What role will biodiesel and ethanol play in Atlantic Canada’s net-zero future?

The blending of biodiesel and ethanol in diesel and gasoline respectively will continue in Atlantic Canada, to help continue reducing emissions. However, given the limitations with supply, weather and engine technology, the opportunities for biodiesel and ethanol to grow in the region are limited.

Other low-carbon liquid fuel alternatives, such as renewable diesel, may play a growing role to decarbonize petroleum diesel in the region. Renewable diesel can withstand colder temperatures without change, than biodiesel, and is a higher quality fuel.

Some examples of companies that have begun production of renewable diesel are, Braya Renewable Fuels in Newfoundland and Labrador, who produces 18,000 Barrels per day (BPD) of renewable diesel, and Irving’s Whitegate refinery in Ireland, who produces 400 BPD.

Resources: