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Biodiesel is a type of fuel made from vegetable oil or animal fat that contains alkyl esters which are methyl, propyl or ethyl. In simple term, it is made from oil or chemically reacting lipids with alcohol. From the name itself, this type of fuel is to be used for standard engines using diesel and can be blended with petrodiesel. In the United States of America, it is called as mono-alkyl ester.

Biodiesel dates back as early as 1937 when G. Chavanne from Belgium gained patency for the transformation of vegetable oils into fuels. With the use of alcohol mainly ethanol to separate the fats from the glycerol. Glycerol is the sweet syrup alcohol coming from the fats. This process is called alcoholysis or transestrification.

This type of fuel can be used alone or it can also be mixed with petroleum diesel with modern engines using diesel. If your rubber gaskets and hoses are not heat and chemical resistants, then biodiesel is not for your car. Mostly, vehicles manufactured in the early 1990s have weak gaskets and hoses that is why they replaced these parts with FKM or flouroelastomer gaskets and hoses because of their chemical and heat resistance capability. It was noted that biodiesel leaves residues and it obstructs the passages of the fuel filters. With this disadvantage, fuel filters and heaters are to be changed when using biodiesel. Even then the advantages of biodiesel outweighs the disadvantages in terms of it biodegradable characteristic which is non-explosive, used for domestic prodcution for local farming, it is currently available, and modification of engines is not needed since it can be mixed with petroleum diesel.

The American market started with 5 % biodiesel blends. This was started when Chrysler used it on the Jeep Liberty CRD in the year 2005 and it is planning to increase the 5 % biodiesel blends up to 20 % if the quality of biofuel can be standardized in the United States.

In the city of San Franciso, California, they are planning to become self-sufficient in terms or energy usage. In 2008, the city under Mayor Gavin Newsom was awarded with a million dollar grant from California Energy Commission to construct their first brown grease biodiesel facility. Brown grease means the dark oil in grills and kitchen sink grease interceptors. Although only the yellow grease is essential for biodiesel production, they are considering in using the high free fatty acid content in brown grease. Brown grease is not very ideal for biodiesel production but the city remains positive that they can convert this grease which is considered as a waste even for biodiesel manufacturers.

By the year 2020, San Francisco targets to be carbon-neutral by using a 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum ratio for all vehicles. The city is now known as the city that uses biodiesel in their vehicles. Although they have troubles in collecting grease enough for their consumption, Darling International plans to build a plant rendering 10 million gallons every year at Pier 92 in Bayview/Hunters Point. This will not only provide alternative sources or biodiesel but jobs as well.