Review: examining the use of different feedstock for the production of biodiesel

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel produced from triglycerides and fatty acids present in naturally occurring fats and oils. However, owing to higher production costs it has had very little commercial use. It has been identified that the cost of raw materials (this refers to fats and oils) accounts for more than 70% of the biodiesel production cost. For biodiesel to play an active role in our energy needs, it requires to be produced at a much lower price while still meeting international fuel standards. The objective of this paper is to identify other feedstocks such as micro-organisms (e.g. algae), which can be used for biodiesel production. By increasing the supply and lowering the price of feedstock, the overall cost of biodiesel can be reduced allowing it to play a greater role in satisfying our energy needs. (c) 2007 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.