From chip shop to pit stop – scientists make cooking oil biofuel as efficient as diesel (www.kcl.ac.uk)
from Joker@sh.itjust.works to science@mander.xyz on 09 Dec 2024 11:28
https://sh.itjust.works/post/29235230

#science

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SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world on 09 Dec 2024 14:16 next collapse

I admit I’m not the most chemistry-literate - so correct me if I’m wrong here - but since “Road Haulage” already has battery-powered vehicles starting to roll out, it seems a better direction to work towards than still burning things. This might be useful as a mid-way step if existing vehicles can use it, but only if it appears on the market (and makes significant market penetration) relatively soon.

qjkxbmwvz@startrek.website on 09 Dec 2024 15:10 collapse

Aviation is also mentioned, which (to me) is a bigger deal here. The only viable alternative to burning jet fuel is to get from A to B much, much more slowly. Which is great and something we should be doing! But realistically…not gonna happen anytime soon.

catloaf@lemm.ee on 09 Dec 2024 16:00 collapse

Those that can directly replace petrol or diesel in conventional combustion engines have been touted as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, with fuels derived from food waste cutting greenhouse gases by up to 94%.

Someone explain to me how burning vegetable oil instead of diesel can have as low as 6% the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. I find it hard to believe breaking a hydrocarbon doesn’t release that much carbon dioxide.

knightly@pawb.social on 09 Dec 2024 23:35 collapse

They get to subtract out all the carbon captured by the growth of the source plants the biofuel was made from.

sxan@midwest.social on 09 Dec 2024 23:55 collapse

And probably all of the carbon emitted in the production of diesel, from extraction, to transporting, to refining. Vegetable oil - in guessing, I don’t know - is far less polluting.

I didn’t read TFA, but if this can use waste vegetable oil, even if with some processing, there’s even more savings as you can discount much of the production cost as a dual-use savings.

I’ll agree with GP, though, that 6% seems incredibly optimistic.