FAME’s Deceptive Carbon Footprint and Carbon Credits

 

Taking a close look at a typical BioDiesel molecule represented by a Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) structure, where R stands for a general oleaginous hydrocarbon section:

R-OC-O-CH₃

If the formula is rewritten using parentheses you realize how much real CO₂ is actually hiding in each molecule of FAME:

R-(OC-O)-CH₃

In the above formula there is only one useful type of carbon, meaning the hydrocarbon found in “R” and “CH₃”, while the rest is plain POLLUTING DEAD WEIGHT.

R-(OC-O)-CH_{3 --------} =-------- R-CH₃ + CO₂

This pollutant, one whole CO₂ molecule, is already built into FAME molecules, and you are stuck with it! A typical FAME blend carries between 14 to 20% of CO₂ as ballast, all going straight into the environment without rendering returns in heat, useful work, or in mileage. A vehicle making 25 miles per gallon with petroleum diesel, with FAME makes 21 mpg. The CO₂ in FAME is practically pre-formed and has no energy value, yet it certainly pollutes the environment giving plenty of carbon redundancy. FAME can mean buying 14 to 20% less fuel for your dollar.All the CO₂ that is released to the atmosphere, arising from energy-depleted carbon amounts to redundant emissions. By the same token, this carboxo (OC-O) part of FAME biodiesel should not be taken into account when figuring CARBON CREDITS. Redundant emissions result from a lesser efficient fuel, which promotes more production of FAME.More production of FAME requires more use of fossil methanol. With increased generation of non-fuel side products, additional purification procedures are required and increase the risk of additional pollution. In other words, carbon credits should not be given to any energy-depleted carbon. Carbon credits should not take redundant emissions into account. In FAME the dead weight should be subtracted, and carbon credit adjusted so that benefit is given only to those carbons contributing to the true heat value of the BioFuel.

As opposed to FAME, which contains ester structures bearing the carboxo (OC-O) group, HEBD are fuels derived from HEBF Technology, which do not involve any esters or energy-depleting oxygen groups. HEBD is a fuel involving energy-rich compounds, characterized by the nitrile functionality, represented by the following structure:

R-CN

This fact has been proven through calorimetric studies, where HEBD competes at the same energy levels as commercial petroleum fuels.

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