Using crops and waste to make biodiesel doesn’t seem to make sense. Wouldn’t it be better to make it with algae? All it would need is water, sunlight, and waste CO2.
And some more details about algae-based bio-diesel:
1. Use desert lands that are otherwise useless for growing crops. You need lots of sun - and that’s what deserts have. But “useless” desert lands could provide the acreage needed. Shallow ponds or lengthy canals would be built (line them with rubber from discarded car tires ...)
2. Use seawater. Don’t use up precious fresh water.
3. To accelerate growth - just add Carbon Dioxide. Photosynthesis is the process where sunlight provides energy and chlorophyll is the catalyst to convert CO2 and H2O into complex hydrocarbon chains. In plants - it can become cellulosic material - the wood, bark, leaves, etc.
To add CO2, locate the algae growing regions near a coal burning plant (like the 4 Corners Generating Plant), or build a coal burning plant near the algae growing fields. Run the power plant’s exhaust stack emissions through the water so that much of the CO2 would be removed.
Theoretical yields of algae based biodiesel - could give up to 1000 times more yield (energy) for the same area as if the area was used for corn based ethanol. And since we would be using fairly useless land ... it wouldn’t have the negative effects on land use, diverting grain from the food chain, etc.
Mike