TIE, TCI work on proposal to switch to biodiesel

As part of an ongoing commitment to being environmentally friendly, Tufts is working towards running all of its vehicles on biodiesel fuel.

The Tufts Institute of Environment (TIE) is pushing for the vehicular gas change. Project Manager Sarah Creighton worked with Tufts Climate Initiative (TCI) intern Rebecca Byard to set the project in motion.

This week, one Tufts vehicle is test-driving the fuel. TIE bought $100 of biodiesel to fill up two tankfuls of gas. "I talked to Ground Supervisor John Vik and he confirmed that it works fine," Creighton said. "He said it smelled a bit like french fries."

The manufacturer for Tufts' biodiesel would be World Energy in Chelsea. "It's pretty well tested by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Department of Energy (DOE)," Byard said.

Biodiesel is a more environmentally friendly way to run vehicles. According to the Veggie Van Organization's webpage, "biodiesel is a fuel made from vegetable oil that runs in any unmodified diesel engine."

Soy is the most common source of oil for biodiesel, but all types of vegetable oil can be used. Veggie Van states that "compared to diesel, biodiesel produces no sulfur, no net carbon dioxide, up to 20 times less carbon monoxide and more free oxygen."

With regards to carbon dioxide, biodiesel and diesel from fossil fuels burn similarly. Both types release comparable amounts of carbon dioxide. The difference is in how the two fuels are created. "Biodiesel is a closed cycle. Growing soybeans takes carbon dioxide from the air, and when we burn it, the [carbon dioxide] is re-released," Byard said. "There's no net gain of carbon dioxide." With fossil fuel diesel, the fuel is taken out of the ground and no carbon dioxide is needed to create the oil.

There are two common types of biodiesel concentrations. One typical concentration, called B20, is 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent diesel. The other concentration, called B100, consists entirely of biodiesel. Biodiesel thickens in cold weather, making it more sensible to use the B20 mixture in the northeastern climate.

"We are and will be using B20," Byard said. "There haven't been any problems with it."

TCU Senator Alexei Wagner produced a report analyzing the costs and benefits of using biodiesel on the Tufts campus. The report stated that because of a higher price for diesel derived from fossil fuels, the change to biodiesel would cost Tufts $904.80 more each year to run its vehicles.

In the report, titled "A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Using Biodiesel Fuel at Tufts University," Wagner discussed benefits such as decreased greenhouse gas emissions and improved human health conditions. The health benefits would be a result of lower particulate matter emissions in the atmosphere.

Further, Wagner argued that "there is great potential for Tufts University to gain publicity from switching to biodiesel on campus." Surrounding neighborhoods would notice that "Tufts is taking steps to make the community a cleaner, healthier place," the report said.

It seems as though the funding for the additional cost of biodiesel is the only obstacle to overcome. "The problem is that money resources are scarce," Creighton said. "We're evaluating budgets. It's not a huge amount of money but enough to make an impact."

According to Creighton, with the same $904.80, Tufts "can get more carbon pollution reduction without spending more money." Also important to note, she said, is the fact that Tufts vehicle transportation only accounts for seven percent of all gas pollution on campus.

Tufts would not be the first campus to have biodiesel-burning vehicles. "There's a whole ton of colleges doing this," Byard said. "I think University of Vermont was the first. Harvard just switched a month ago. A lot of public schools are using it for buses."

The idea of biodiesel is not a new phenomenon. Dr. Rudolf Diesel's first displayed engine ran entirely on peanut oil. Only after Dr. Diesel's death did engines begin running on fossil fuels.