Carrboro may run two vehicles solely on biodiesel

A pair of town vehicles soon could be part of the next step in Carrboro's experiment with biodiesel fuel.

The town's Environmental Advisory Board presented a report Tuesday to the Board of Aldermen suggesting that Carrboro, which already runs all public vehicles on a mix of biodiesel and petroleum, run two vehicles completely on "B100" - 100 percent biodiesel.

Biodiesel fuel is made from renewable vegetable oils, recycled cooking greases or animal fat, and is an alternative for conventional petroleum-based diesel fuel.

The vehicles could run on B100 for a trial period of six months to a year, said Carrboro environmental planner Noah Ranells.

"There is some concern over B100 regarding its cool weather functioning in engines," Ranells said, explaining one reason that a trial period is necessary.

According to the report, if the vehicles were to run on B100, they would reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 50 percent and particulate matter emissions by 70 percent.

"The environmental impact is the major reason that people are attracted to B100," Ranells said.

The trial would cost the town about $1,000 because of the price of the fuel, the report states.

Because the town does not currently use B100, the trial would also require the town to install a storage tank for the fuel at the Carrboro Public Works facility.

Lyle Estill of the Piedmont Biofuels Cooperative said the money for the tank will come from the Triangle Clean Cities Coalition.

Because the funding is not coming from the town, members of Piedmont Biofuels would also be able to fill up at the tank, Estill said.

"We're still waiting on political approval, but it's definitely going to happen," Estill said, adding that she was confident about the proposal.

Carrboro has been using B20 in all of the town's vehicles and equipment with diesel engines since August 2002. B20 is a fuel that is 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum.

Bill Terry, interim director of the Chapel Hill Department of Public Works, said his department has been using B20 for 15 to 16 months.

The EAB report states that by using B20 instead of traditional petroleum diesel fuels, Carrboro is spending more than $7,000 per year.

Terry said the move costs Chapel Hill about $29,000 annually.

Ranells added that the cost is another reason the B100 trial is necessary.

B100 is about $2 more expensive per gallon than B20, so a switch to use B100 exclusively would necessitate a huge budget increase, Terry said.

"Maybe when they're producing it by the millions of barrels per day like they do with oil now, the price will come down, and switching completely to B100 will become practical."

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