Every August 10th, International Biodiesel Day is celebrated, an event that commemorates when Rudolf Diesel managed to start his engine with vegetable oil in 1893That successful test, conducted with palm oil, opened the door to a different way of understanding fuel for combustion engines.
The date serves to look back and also to review the present: What is biodiesel, how is it produced, and what policies are accelerating its adoption? in a world that seeks to reduce emissions without losing sight of security of supply and competitiveness.
Origins of the commemoration
At the end of the 19th century, Diesel wanted to overcome the poor efficiency of steam engines and approach the theoretical Carnot limitIn 1892 he suffered a serious accident with a prototype fueled by ammonia, losing the support of Carl Linde, but He found new support in Heinrich von Buz and the MAN firm. to continue with his idea.
August 10, 1893 marked the turning point: The diesel engine ran stably using palm oilIt wasn't just a laboratory curiosity, but a demonstration that vegetable oils could reliably power machinery.
A few years later, in 1897, MAN introduced a 25 hp four-stroke diesel engine that supported a wide range of fuels, from vegetable oils to light petroleum fractions then available for various uses.
The commitment to vegetable oils was reaffirmed in 1900, when Diesel exhibited his technology at the Universal Exhibition in Paris with peanut oilYears later, in 1912, he made it clear that These oils could eventually become substitutes for coal and petroleum., anticipating debates that are still fully relevant today.
What is biodiesel and how is it produced?
Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made up of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), obtained by reacting triglycerides (vegetable oils or animal fats) with a light alcohol, usually methanol, in a process of transesterification. It can be used pure or in mixtures with diesel in variable proportions (B5, B10, B20, etc.).
There is also the so-called renewable diesel or HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), produced by hydrotreatment at high temperature and pressure, which generates paraffinic hydrocarbons chemically very similar to fossil dieselIt is a complementary fuel to biodiesel, although its production cost is usually higher.
If the complete cycle is evaluated, biodiesel and renewable diesel allow reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 70% and 80% compared to conventional diesel. Biodiesel production also generates glycerin as a by-product, a raw material now used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and chemical sectors.
Raw materials include soybeans, sunflowers, rapeseed, palm, used oils and animal fats, which allows production to be adapted to the agricultural availability and logistics of each region.
Policies, market and regional situation
Since the 1990s, many countries have implemented mandatory mixing mandates to diversify the energy matrix and reduce emissions. In parallel, regulations such as RefuelEU Aviation set increasing percentages of SAF for aviation, accelerating the deployment of renewable diesel and biofuels. Major energy companies have converted refineries to process oils, while biodiesel, with lower barriers to entry, has facilitated the emergence of new players. They are complementary avenues with different investment decisions and scales.
The biodiesel trade has experienced tensions: in Europe, following a dispute won by Argentina before the WTO for anti-dumping measures, a quota system; in the United States they govern tariffs close to 150% and the exclusion of certain tax incentives for imports, while domestic mandates for biodiesel are growing.
In the region, Brazil applies B15 in all its diesel fuels, while Argentina, which became global export leader, maintains today a national cut of 7,5%.. Massive use began in 2010 with the Law 26.093, which set a minimum of 5% for automotive and 20% for electricity generation (the latter objective not materialized). The current debate focuses on update the regulations with increasing goals, taking advantage of installed capacity, export experience, technical profiles, and the potential of winter crops such as carinata, safflower, camelina, and rapeseed.
This International Biodiesel Day highlights that the innovation of more than a century ago is still relevant: reduce emissions, boost regional economies and improve energy security These are objectives that the sector can address if regulation supports it and investment finds a stable framework.
Diesel testing with vegetable oils anticipated a possible transition, and today, with mature technologies like biodiesel and HVO, and clear regulations, it is feasible to scale its role in transportation and industry without losing track of climate change or economic viability.
