<
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/as-renewable-diesel-surges-sustainability-claims-are-deeply-questioned/>
"Renewable diesel is a biofuel made from vegetable oils and animal fats touted
by proponents as an almost miraculous “drop-in” transition fuel able to
drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions while easily replacing fossil diesel
in all manner of engines.
But this biofuel’s recent sudden surge in production and rapid expansion in
applications is alarming environmentalists, who warn unfettered growth could
fuel climate change and tropical deforestation.
Renewable diesel, or RD, can be made from a wide range of feedstocks, including
waste vegetable oils, animal tallow, corn, canola (rapeseed), soy and oil palm.
The feedstock used, where and how it is produced, and whether forests are
felled to make way for biofuel crops, all determine RD’s carbon emissions as
compared to fossil diesel.
RD is often manufactured in retooled fossil fuel refineries using complex
biochemical and thermochemical technologies requiring lots of energy — adding
to its carbon footprint. Chevron, BP, Shell and other major fossil fuel
companies are now converting excess refinery capacity to make RD and enter the
market in a big way."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
