San Francisco city departments and agencies using B-20 include the San Francisco Airport, Department of Public Works, MUNI buses, and the San Francisco Zoo. Also, the San Francisco Fire Department expects to expand the use of biodiesel throughout the city upon completion of its pilot program. San Francisco already has more than 800 alt-fuel vehicles in its departmental and agency fleets. The number municipal fleets using biodiesel is growing.
Recently, two additional cities announced that they will be transitioning to biodiesel. One is Boston. Mayor Thomas Menino recently ordered the changeover of Boston’s 450 diesel vehicles to biodiesel. Another is Fayetteville, N.C, which is transitioning its 200-unit diesel fleet to B-20. Among county fleets, Snohomish County in Washington is one of a number of county fleets using B-20 in its diesel vehicles, off-road units, and construction equipment. At the state level, South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds directed the state Department of Transportation (DOT) to use biodiesel-blended fuel whenever possible for its more than 1,200 diesel-powered vehicles. Similarly, a Washington state law mandates the state vehicle fleets use at least 20-percent biodiesel by June 2009. Last fall, Minnesota became the first state to require biodiesel to be blended into all diesel fuel, using soybean-based oil.
Why is Biodiesel Attractive?
One reason why biodiesel is attractive is because it can be used in any diesel engine with few or no modifications to the engine or fuel system. It can be blended with petroleum diesel at any level, such as B-20, which is a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel. Biodiesel is a renewable diesel fuel made from soybean oil or other domestic fats and vegetable oils. Also, biodiesel is available throughout the U.S. The National Biodiesel Board maintains a list of registered fuel suppliers as well as petroleum distributors and retail fueling sites.
A current list is available at www.biodiesel.org/. However, biodiesel has a solvent effect that may release deposits accumulated on fuel tank walls and pipes from previous diesel fuel usage. The release of these deposits may initially accumulate in fuel filters, so fuel filters must be checked more frequently during early use of biodiesel. It is recommended that only biodiesel fuel meeting the specification (D 6751) be used.
Originally posted on Work Truck Online
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