The name biodiesel refers to the fuel that comes from biological sources and is mainly to be applied in diesel engines. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) defines biodiesel as “a domestic, renewable fuel for diesel engines derived from nature oils”. As a matter of fact, biodiesel is so called not only because of biologically derivation as waste raw materials are also commonly used in production (Sunggyu Lee 2012).
Compared with massive GHG emissions of CO2, SOx, NOx, which are produced by fossil fuels, biodiesel takes advantages on its clean and low-carbon benefits, which is an ideal substitute for traditional petroleum-based diesel used in transportation and energy generation. Besides environmental factors, …show more content…
Brazil is the pioneer of advanced biofuels programmes in the world and the European was once the dominant manufacturer of the biodiesel industry. North America and Asia is taking an increasing part of the biodiesel capacity. So far as concerned, metropolitan public transit buses and school buses are both significant users of diesel fuels. If the biodiesel is applied to this majority, biodiesel market will be promising. Taking US school buses as an example, the demand of biodiesel shows excellent growth and potential market over the last decade. The similar situation also is suitable for Hong Kong, which is largely depend on public transportation like MTR, bus, mini-bus, tram, ferry and taxi. If promoted to popularization, biodiesel will bring Hong Kong with economic benefits including jobs opportunities, income taxes, investments, current account balance, and reductions in health care costs. Prospect for biodiesel industry is thriving all over the world so why not Hong Kong piggybacks onto the developing technology alongside with mainland China (which takes up the 3rd largest production all over the world as the figure referred) and makes efforts on reducing global warming gas …show more content…
4,500 farmers, about 0.12 per cent of the territory’s total work force, are engaged in agriculture only (AFCD Annual Report 2012-2013). Fresh vegetables largely depends on imports while that is farmed by local production drops from 2.5% in 2010 to 1.9% in 2012. High cost of refined vegetable oils challenges the biodiesel industry in Hong Kong if these edible oils are to compete with local food market, so the feasibility to reduce the social impact is to use alternative feedstocks like wasted food, 3,000 tonnes of which is generated daily in Hong Kong. Using waste oils and fats are much cheaper and even much environmental friendly. For more specific details of this alternative feedstock for biodiesel production, the reader is referred to Chapter 2, in which more information will be