Biodiesel enthusiasts revved up about alternative fuel's future

The distinctive rattle of diesel engines filled a parking lot outside a Seattle neighborhood center yesterday, but the exhaust smelled more like popcorn than the usual smoky stench.

Boosters of such sweet-smelling — some would say odorless — rigs filled the basement of the community center at Phinney Ridge for the third annual Northwest Biodiesel Forum. More than 300 people showed up to learn about and spread the virtues of vegetable oil as fuel.

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made primarily from vegetable or animal oils. In the United States, the most common source is soybean oil. Waste vegetable oil (left over from deep fryers) also can be used, according to Aaron Kahn of Northwest Biodiesel Network, who helped organize yesterday's event.

That so many turned out was not surprising, biodiesel backers said.

They pointed to the relatively high adoption rate of alternative fuels in the Puget Sound area by local and state government, including trucks and ferries, as well as by individuals looking to lessen dependence on fossil fuel, to be more Earth-friendly and to spur a young industry.

Getting the ball rolling with a quick "Biodiesel 101" course was Dan Freeman, who for three years has run a Ballard-based biodiesel filling station, Dr. Dan's Alternative Fuelwerks. Washington state, he said, now has "the highest concentration of users in the nation."

Information

Web sites about biodiesel fuel: www.nwbiodiesel.org,

www.biodieselnow.com

www.breathablebus.org

The Northwest Biodiesel Network meets 7 to 8:30 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of every month at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, Northwest 65th Street and Phinney Avenue North.

He concedes there are far fewer stations like his than regular gas stations. Still, he contends that people who switch from regular gas-powered cars to biodiesel are generally "money ahead" because of the better mileage and lower maintenance costs associated with diesel engines. Diesels typically have a driving range of more than 500 miles — more than sufficient to get to other biodiesel stations, Freeman said.

And all that's apart from political and environmental aspects biodiesel backers point to, including what they regard as dubious U.S. foreign policy toward oil-producing nations, and costs of transporting oil great distances.

Freeman said he now has more than 900 regular customers, more than 95 percent of whom use pure biodiesel. Compared with other states, Washington is lagging in production, but it's near the top in terms of its use.

There are encouraging signs, though, on the production side. For example, a new business, Seattle Biodiesel, is gearing up to produce fuel in wholesale amounts this spring, according to owner John Plaza, who was among the panelists.

Plaza said the key to making biodiesel more affordable is making it economically attractive to Eastern Washington farmers to grow the crops from which vegetable oil can be extracted. For the time being, Plaza and others said, local producers of biodiesel must import oil from the Midwest.

Another development that excited the crowd was last week's announcement by Volkswagen that it will extend warranty protection to biodiesel blends. A catch is that the relaxed warranty coverage is limited to blends of no more than 5 percent biodiesel, while many of the people who turned out for yesterday's forum drive on 100 percent biodiesel.

In an interview Friday, VW spokesman Tony Fouladpour said modern diesel engines use sophisticated electronics that could be harmed by fuel that doesn't meet certain standards.

"Some people are going to the extent of going to McDonald's and getting the grease and running the car on it," he said. And if it turns out that's the cause of an owner's problem, "we'll void it," he said of warranty coverage on the engine.

Freeman agreed that people who "brew their own" are — and should be — at risk: If they "screw up ... don't expect the dealer to fix it for you."

He said the fuel he sells meets ASTM standards (American Society for Testing and Materials), a voluntary standards-development group of industry experts and government regulators.

Yesterday, biodiesel promotional materials like bumper stickers and decals seemed to be selling well. But not everything powered by biodiesel is working optimally. Tina Stotz, environmental-program manager with Washington State Ferries, reported that the state may have to quit using biodiesel fuel on the Vashon Island-Southworth-Fauntleroy ferry because of difficulties with it "gelling up" and clogging filters.

Experts have concluded the problem was not a bad batch of fuel and think it could be "cold-weather related," she said. "We're unsure of the cause. ... We're trying to decide what to do."

Peter Lewis: 206-464-2217 or plewis@seattletimes.com