Biodiesel puts the fat to the fire.

Byline: SUSAN PALMER The Register-Guard

Don't be surprised if the enticing aroma of french fries wafts by at surprising moments during the Oregon Country Fair this year.

It could be when a John Deere Gator zips by hauling vendor supplies. Or it could be near the generator powering stoves and other appliances in the staff kitchen.

But don't try following your nose to the frying vat.

What you're smelling is a combustion engine running on biodiesel - a vegetable oil derivative - instead of its stinky petroleum-based cousin.

At the fair site west of Veneta, the generators, tractors and Gators have been running on 100 percent biodiesel for the past two weeks as workers prepare for the annual celebration next month.

It's part of a small but possibly expanding local toehold in the alternative fuel market.

Biodiesel is made from fresh or recycled vegetable oil, soy oil, canola oil, even mustard seed oil. It releases much lower levels of pollutants than petroleum diesel and can be used with few or no modifications to diesel vehicles.

"We want to do things that are environmentally conscious and more sustainable," said Beth Grafe, Country Fair site support manager.

Eugene Biosource, a local advocacy group, brought biodiesel to the fair and is working with local supplier Tyree Oil on a deal to sell a biodiesel/petroleum diesel blend to companies, government agencies and consumers. Among the potential customers is the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Like other federal and state agencies across the country, the BLM is interested in biodiesel's environmental benefits as well as the fact that it reduces reliance of foreign petroleum sources.

In its purest form, biodiesel cuts harmful emissions, releasing 95 percent fewer hydrocarbons, 50 percent less carbon monoxide and 30 percent less particulate matter than petroleum diesel. It eliminates sulfur oxides and sulfate entirely.

The National Biodiesel Board, a nonprofit group promoting the fuel, estimates that of the 200 entities using biodiesel, about 80 percent are federal or state agencies or public utilities, from the Forest Service to the Army to school districts fueling buses, said board spokeswoman Jenna Higgins.

"Biodiesel is a way to clean up the environment and improve domestic energy security without having to invest in all new vehicles," Higgins said.

Federal laws mandate that government agencies use alternative fuels or other measures to reduce pollution. In Oregon, agencies have opted for natural gas vehicles and hybrid gas and electric cars, said a state Energy Office spokeswoman.

But locally, the BLM is investigating using a biodiesel blend for its heavy equipment - road graders, bulldozers and heavy trucks, BLM spokesman Greg Huntington said. His agency goes through an average of 4,000 gallons of fuel every five or six weeks.

The nearest biodiesel manufacturer now is in Missouri, however, Huntington said. And biodiesel degrades natural rubbers more quickly than petroleum, so the vehicles would have to be checked to make sure the hoses were all synthetic, he said.

Still, the environmental benefits of biodiesel fit in with the agency's current green efforts, which include using recycled paper and more energy-efficient lighting.

"We're still in the exploratory phase, " Huntington said. "We're dealing with what would be the costs to us and what are the impacts and the benefits," he said.

If Tyree does start offering biodiesel here, it will be because of agencies such as the BLM or companies buying it for a whole fleet of vehicles, sales manager Tim Reed said. But the company would make the fuel available to individuals, too.

"Anybody that really wants the product will be able to have it," Reed said.

Tyree expects to offer a blended fuel of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel - popular because it causes less wear and tear on rubber hoses, while still keeping toxic emissions lower than standard diesel. But Tyree also would have 100 percent biodiesel available for those who prefer the full strength.

That's part of a growing trend across the country, said Higgins of the National Biodiesel Board. Since the first two commercial pumps opened a year ago - one in San Francisco offering 100 percent biodiesel and one in Sparks, Nev., offering the 20-80 blend - about 30 retail outlets have sprung up, she said.

And Congress is trying to sweeten the pot, with tax-exemption proposals in current House and Senate energy bills that would make the fuel cheaper by 20 cents per gallon, Higgins said.

A farm bill passed in May also recognizes the potential of biodiesel. It provides $204 million in subsidies for producers of ethanol and biodiesel, $5 million to educate consumers about biodiesel and $6 million to encourage the use of bio-based products by federal agencies.

And don't forget the french-fry smell. At the Country Fair, Grafe said that's a big plus - especially for the kitchen generator, which runs close to where people eat.

BIODIESEL FACTS

How it's made: Vegetable oil is mixed with an alcohol, usually methanol, and a catalyst, usually sodium. The oil molecules are broken apart and reformed into methyl esters - the fuel - and glycerol - a common substance used in soap and cosmetics.

Nontoxic: Biodiesel is less toxic than common table salt. It's also biodegradable, breaking down in water at about the same rate that dextrose, a sugar, does. It has a much higher flash point, igniting at 300 degrees, compared with petroleum diesel, which burns at 125 degrees.

Price: Biodiesel costs more than petroleum diesel, between $1 and $2 a gallon, compared with regular diesel, which is selling now for less than $1.

Wear and tear: Depending on the type of oil it's made from, it can be less fuel-efficient and reduces engine power. It also can wear out nonsynthetic rubber hoses common in vehicles built before 1995.

Popular overseas: Europeans, who pay a much higher price for petroleum diesel, have made the switch to biodiesel. In 2001, they purchased about 350 million gallons of the fuel. In the United States last year, between 10 and 15 million gallons were sold.

For more information: www.eugenebiosource.org, www.veggievan.com.

- National Biodiesel Board, U.S. Department of Energy.