Manitoba is about to become the first state in Canada to make mandatory the usage of biodiesel. The provincial governance has declared that as of November 1, 2009 all diesel oil traded in Manitoba has to incorporate at the least two percent biodiesel. The government also declared fresh standards to substantiate the state’s rising biodiesel industry – there is only one commissioned biodiesel manufacturer in Manitoba. As per the new authorization, the present-day fuel taxation exemption on biodiesel will be substituted with a 14-cent-per-litre, five year yield grant for biodiesel developed in Manitoba. This grant will come into consequence in the spring of 2010.  Read more about Market Potential of Biodiesel

Manitoba’s government anticipates this standard to bring down carbon emissions by 56,000 tons yearly, the equal of taking 11,000 cars off the road every year.  Manitoba’s Energy Minister, Jim Rondeau said this declaration “once again reinforces Manitoba’s reputation as an innovator when it comes to the development of the biofuels industry.”

Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl (methyl, propyl or ethyl) esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids (e.g., vegetable oil, animal fat (tallow)) with an alcohol.

Biodiesel is meant to be used in standard diesel engines and is thus distinct from the vegetable and waste oils used to fuel converted diesel engines. Biodiesel can be used alone, or blended with petrodiesel.
Blends of biodiesel and conventional hydrocarbon-based diesel are products most commonly distributed for use in the retail diesel fuel marketplace. Much of the world uses a system known as the “B” factor to state the amount of biodiesel in any fuel mix: fuel containing 20% biodiesel is labeled B20, while pure biodiesel is referred to as B100.

Biodiesel can be used in pure form (B100) or may be blended with petroleum diesel at any concentration in most modern diesel engines. Biodiesel has different solvent properties than petrodiesel, and will degrade natural rubber gaskets and hoses in vehicles (mostly vehicles manufactured before 1992), although these tend to wear out naturally and most likely will have already been replaced with FKM, which is nonreactive to biodiesel. Biodiesel has been known to break down deposits of residue in the fuel lines where petrodiesel has been used. As a result, fuel filters may become clogged with particulates if a quick transition to pure biodiesel is made. Therefore, it is recommended to change the fuel filters on engines and heaters shortly after first switching to a biodiesel blend.