Because of increasing demand from local consumers, the BP Oil Company bulk station at 42 Elliot St. recently started to offer biodiesel, a fuel derived from vegetable oil, office manager Don Rugg said.
The fuel, which can be used with any diesel-powered motor, is available at $2.35 per gallon in 55-gallon drums, which cost $129.25. The cost of regular petroleum at that location is $2.27 per gallon.
Biodiesel is not yet available at the Elliot Street pumps, but it is offered at the pump in several Ohio locations and probably will be offered in Athens soon, Rugg said. For now, the Elliot Street location offers the drum that contains the biodiesel free of charge and sells the accompanying pump, hose and nozzle for $100.
Sonia Marcus, Ohio University resource coordinator, said that unlike regular petroleum, biodiesel can be stored safely at home because it is only as flammable as
vegetable oil.
Biodiesel use is important because it is more sustainable than fossil fuels, produces less harmful emissions and could reduce the country's dependence on oil, said Ben Stuart, an OU associate professor of engineering and director of the biofuels laboratory on campus.
Before BP made the biodiesel available, Stuart said he had to buy fuel that was only 2 percent biodiesel from Athens Landmark Inc., 143 N. Plains Road.
In the winter months, Rugg expects demand for biodiesel to decrease because the fuel can gel in temperatures under 32 degrees. In these conditions, biodiesel should be mixed with regular diesel to prevent clogging. He recommends a mix of 90 percent biodiesel and 10 percent regular diesel fuel.
Stuart said technology that would allow the use of biodiesel in lower temperatures has been created but hasn't yet become mainstream.
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Erin Barker
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Biodiesel fuel is now available at the BP Bulk Station, 42 Elliott St, but not at the pump. The high-quality fuel is similar to petroleum diesel but doesn't sacrifice performance when it comes to power, torque, fuel consumption and cold weather.
Vegetable oil fuel costs $2.35 a gallon
