[Gasification] Torrified woodchips as a gasifier fuel

[Max Kennedy]

"Straight veggie oil is much, much more polluting than fossil diesel
fuel, but biodiesel is a good bit less polluting than fossil diesel."

If one only looks at comparing the 3 fuels themselves, this is true.  However if one takes into account the imbedded energy/pollution of each in addition to that produced by using the end product then the WVO is far less costly both in energy costs and in total pollution produced.  For example diesel has to have added the extraction costs, the environmental impact costs (such as the Vancouver pipeline rupture), the refining energy costs etc.  The biodiesel has to include the energy/pollution in the process and process chemicals such as methanol and sodium hydroxide as well as disposal of the glycerine etc.  Yes, WVO has imbedded costs for processing, transport etc but they are lower as the material is far less processed and the costs are shared with the food industry as that was the primary use of the WVO.  An example of re-use advantage.  This last consideration is not true of diesel and partially true of biodiesel depending on the ratio of WVO in the
 BD.  The end use only mindset, which the starting quote embodies, needs to be replaced with a total cycle cost mindset.  That is not to say those on the list aren't aware these "hidden" costs exist however it is to say that the language we choose to use influences the thinking processes both of ourselves and those we talk to.  Just because some of the pollution to produce the more refined BD doesn't come from our tailpipe, originating from the methanol plant or the production of NaOH instead, doesn't mean that the pollution doesn't exist and isn't harmful.

Off the soap box.

The idea of trapping the waste carbon and using the waste heat from a WVO powered diesel using biomass destined for gasification sounds excellent to me and is a great example of whole cycle thinking that will truely overcome todays challenges in the future.

Max K


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