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Published November 03, 2007 07:04 pm - Cullman residents may soon have an alternative to high-priced gasoline available close by. Governor Bob Riley announced this week one of four new biofuel filling stations will be located on Supersaver Road in Cullman. However, moving crops from the farm to the fuel tank has its advantages and its downsides as the benefits of cleaner-burning domestic fuel compare with increased corn costs, expensive vehicle modifications and market uncertainties. Ethanol coming to Cullman By Brittany Woodby The Cullman Times Cullman residents may soon have an alternative to high-priced gasoline available close by. Governor Bob Riley announced this week one of four new biofuel filling stations will be located on Supersaver Road in Cullman. However, moving crops from the farm to the fuel tank has its advantages and its downsides as the benefits of cleaner-burning domestic fuel compare with increased corn costs, expensive vehicle modifications and market uncertainties.
What is biofuel?The term biofuel refers to several types of petroleum alternatives that are made through processing renewable products, whether those be organic waste or fresh-from-the-farm produce. Today, two of the most popular biofuels on the market are biodiesel and E85, or corn ethanol. Currently there are several biodiesel plants online and planned for Alabama. The National Biodiesel Board defines the produce as a “clean-burning alternative fuel” which contains no petroleum. The fuel is biodegradable and nontoxic and is primarily made from vegetable oils. Biodiesel advocates claim several benefits of using biodiesel. First, the product is made from waste grease and oils Americans discard daily. Since Riley’s announcement, the City of Hoover has begun accepting residents’ used cooking oil to be converted into biodiesel fuel. Also, the fuel is relatively cheap to make. It costs anywhere from 70 cents to 78 cents per gallon to make biodiesel. The U.S. Department of Energy promotes the use of biodiesel not only for its renewable properties but for its environmental benefits. According to the department, the combustion of both biodiesel and bioethanol results in less carbon monoxide emissions into the atmosphere. Carbon monoxide is thought to be one of the causes behind global warming. From a consumer standpoint, one of the biggest advantages of burning biodiesel is the fact most diesel engines can burn biodiesel with little or no modifications. Bioethanol, or E85, is a gasoline alternative made of alcohol. The production of ethanol is similar to the distilling process used to make beer. Current technology uses corn ground into a fine mash that is then fermented to create fuel. Ethanol is not exactly a new technology. Gasoline retailers have mixed ethanol with gasoline since the late 1980s to replace toxic octane boosters. "The primary advantage of ethanol is that it improves combustion of hydrocarbons," said Clark Midkiff, Director for the Center of Advanced Vehicle Technology and professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alabama. "Ethanol is an octane improver. It replaces lead and MTBE that are added to gasoline." The Safe Drinking Water Act mandated that MTBE be omitted from petroleum because it pollutes ground water. As a substitute, most gasoline providers have introduced a 10 percent ethanol/gasoline blend that meets government environmental standards. 
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