Biodiesel and biofuels are the focus of environmental policies in Europe for complying with the agreements referred to in the Kyoto Protocol.
The European Commission's Green Paper aim for a 20% energy supply target by using alternative fuels in the transport sector.
- Biodiesel is the most viable form of renewable energy that can be used directly in any form without modification in diesel engines.
- Biodiesel's vegetable origin ensures biodegradability and the absence of heavy metals, sulfur, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
- Energy Independence: following the major fluctuations the price of oil has undergone over the years, adverse conditions generated for the poorest countries; 38 of them import large quantities and 25 of these same importers import all their crude oil requirements. Trying to reach a discrete energy independence has become a matter of "when" rather than "if" and a program for the production of biofuels has been launched in some developing countries.
- Biodiesel allows a reduction of emissions harmful to the environment and human health. Emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2) from the combustion of biodiesel are absorbed by the environment through the photosynthesis of cultivations dedicated to the production of biofuel.
Thus in the case of biodiesel the balance between produced and absorbed pollution breaks almost even.
- Economic growth: biofuels may create new markets and stimulate the development of rural areas. In the near future, two thirds of the population in developing countries will obtain their income from agriculture.
- Less pollution. The impact on human health is significantly less than petroleum-based fuels. Biodiesel contains no sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbons, and therefore the emission of harmful pollutants is low.
- -58% PM10;
- -58% carbon monoxide;
- -68% compounds.
