Results of demonstration and evaluation projects of biodiesel from rapeseed and used frying oil on light and heavy duty vehicles

In 2003 the European Union adopted a directive for the promotion of biofuels for transport. This directive establishes reference targets for the members states of the European Union for the introduction of biofuels, starting with a proportion of 2% of fuel consumption for road transport in 2005 up to 5.75% in 2010.

The biofuels with the largest present market potential in Europe currently seem to be biodiesel and bio-ethanol. On the longer term also synthetic biomass based fuels have a good potential. With the high market share of diesel vehicles in Europe, especially biodiesel has good prospects presently. In 2003 a common European quality standard for biodiesel or FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) was accepted. The diesel fuel quality standard was also adapted to allow the presence of maximum 5% of biodiesel in diesel fuel, without violating the guarantee from the car manufacturers. So the use of low blends is generally accepted. For higher blends some car manufacturers are willing to co-operate, while others are very reluctant.

In the past decade Vito has evaluated several vehicles operating on biodiesel in real traffic. Two kinds of biodiesel were used: RME and so-called UVOME (used vegetable oil methyl ester). Apart from daily use of the vehicles, measurements were performed with an on-board energy and emission measurement system, while the vehicles were driving in their normal traffic situations. Most tests were done on 100% biodiesel, but in the UVOME project various blends were tested from 20 up to 100% of biodiesel. The results of tests with passenger cars and garbage trucks will be presented in this paper.