Bio Diesel - how to do it

[Gargamel]

Following the welsh chip shop collective - I thought the oil burners out there might be interested in this link www.veggies.org.uk/biodies.htm

Includes details on where to buy and how to make eco fuels, good reading matter if you have an old diesel lump and a big garage

[hansgerd]

A friend of mine usually heads to the local supermarket to get a tank full of sunflower oil.

[mattc]

With respect to paying fuel tax, what is the definition of "fuel"? Do you basically have to pay tax on anything that someone succesfully runs a car on? Or is it only substances defined in the relevant taxation act? And does the latter pretty much define anything that you could conceivably run a conventional car on anyway?

Or to put it another way...
if some nutter finds some organic product that you can burn in a diesel engine, and it isn't mentioned under current taxation laws, could he safely dodge the tax?

[whatever]

mattc said: With respect to paying fuel tax, what is the definition of "fuel"? Do you basically have to pay tax on anything that someone succesfully runs a car on? Or is it only substances defined in the relevant taxation act? And does the latter pretty much define anything that you could conceivably run a conventional car on anyway?

Or to put it another way...
if some nutter finds some organic product that you can burn in a diesel engine, and it isn't mentioned under current taxation laws, could he safely dodge the tax?

Answer : No.

There was a prosecution recently, the upshot of which, to my understanding, is that you have to register with HMC+E to pay the duty you would otherwise pay on the fuel you're replacing. Bit of a con, really.

You would also be done if you didn't get it cleared for health & safety, too.


Edited to add this link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/2312521.stm "Frying squad"

>> Edited by whatever on Tuesday 15th October 12:16

[m-five]

But surely LPG is replacing petrol in all these conversions, yet they pay less duty on it!

So while it is likely that you need to pay duty, it is feasible that you could pay a lower band.

How much methane does an average cow produce per day? We have 500 cows so it could become profitable. Organic as well!

>> Edited by m-five on Tuesday 15th October 12:45

[whatever]

m-five said: How much methane does an average cow produce per day? We have 500 cows so it could become profitable. Organic as well!

You could get arrested and charged with something embarassing if they catch you fitting the hoses to collect the gas...

As well as the difficulties with all-terain gas-bottle holders

[JohnL]

You have to pay the same rate of tax on diesel regardless of where it comes from. I looked into this a while back as there was a possibility of using a by product from my company to make diesel to fuel the vans. Paying the full fuel duty made it completely uneconomical. If it had been marginal cost-wise we might have done it for the kudos. I know veg oil isn't diesel but HMC&E disagree.

Diffrent fuels - eg LPG, perceieved as environmentally friendly - attract different fuel duties. Even though LPG is still dead dinosaur while dio-diesel is readily replenishable.

So much for the environment.

[NDT]

that welsh veggie website was fairly interesting, but not at all convincing.
There are standard oil industry tests for key diesel durability concerns (e.g. nozzle coking, fuel pump lubricity) none of which are mentioned.

The basic idea is fairly sound, and it's outragous that the government is not encouraging this in the most effective way - reduced costs (lower tax).

[JMGS4]

The basic idea is fairly sound, and it's outragous that the government is not encouraging this in the most effective way - reduced costs (lower tax).

Of course they're not going to pursue it as it'd mean less cavair and chips with jubbly for the scrotes in Whitehall......... Cynical??? who me????

[gtir]

NDT said: that welsh veggie website was fairly interesting, but not at all convincing.
There are standard oil industry tests for key diesel durability concerns (e.g. nozzle coking, fuel pump lubricity) none of which are mentioned.

The basic idea is fairly sound, and it's outragous that the government is not encouraging this in the most effective way - reduced costs (lower tax).

Yes, there is coking and gumming problems, but if you use a 2 tank system (this system heats the oil) and start and finish your journey on petro-diesel then these problems are not an issue.

I know someone who runs his diesel on 20% veg oil, and at 39pl thats pretty good. Ok so its a new thing but he thinks its worth the risk.

There are plenty of discussion forums regarding the use of SVO (straight vegetable oil) and WVO (waste vegetable oil) as an alternative fuel. Bio-diesel has started to be used by local councils and businesses, but as has been mentioned before the tax puts it up to the same as petro-diesel.

Next year there will be a reduction in tax on bio-diesel, so it should be a better alternative; both for your pocket and the environment. Rapeseed produces around 100 gallons of oil per acre, the African oil palms produce 550 gallons per acre! (don't see many of those in Cambridge)

Remember that the original Diesel engine from the turn of the century ran on peanut oil, and was designed as such. Its only the petro giants that have invented the diesel as we know it today.

God, I sound like a bloody evangelist!