Biodiesel

Biodiesel is an additive and alternative to petroleum-based diesel fuel derived from renewable vegetable oil and is typically blended with petro-diesel in ratios of 2% up to 20%. There are numerous benefits that come from using biodiesel, including significant reductions in harmful engine emissions, increased fuel lubricity, higher cetane and oxygen content, fuel system cleaning properties, and decreased dependence on foreign sources of petroleum.

The U.S. biodiesel market experienced a compounded annual growth rate of 102% during the past 4 years, expanding from 15 million gallons in 2002 to an estimated 250 million gallons in 2006. This dramatic growth was fueled by numerous regulatory incentives for biodiesel production and consumption, increased demand from fleets due to biodiesel's beneficial properties, and the desire to promote petroleum independence and renewable energy.

The biodiesel industry in the United States is represented by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and in Europe by the European Biodiesel Board. The United States and Europe maintain different product specifications for biodiesel, ASTM D-6751 and EN14214, respectively. The NBB has developed a National Accreditation Program for biodiesel producers and marketers called BQ-9000, essentially comprising of audits of operational systems and testing programs. ALTEN fully intends for all ALTEN projects to take part in this program and become BQ-9000 accredited.