Examining the World's Potential to Produce Biodiesel

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http://www.renewableaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50328

What do the countries of Thailand, Uruguay and Ghana have in common? They all could become leading producers of biodiesel, says a study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.

"We're not suggesting that all exported vegetable oil should be converted into biodiesel, because that would fundamentally upset the food supply. We're looking at this more from each individual country's perspective: They're already exporting one thing, could they be exporting something else?" -- Tracey Holloway, Researcher, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The ease of manufacturing biodiesel from vegetable oils and animal fats has made it one of the most promising, near-term alternatives to fossil fuels.

Seeking to understand which nations are best positioned today to enter the burgeoning biodiesel market, researchers Matt Johnston and Tracey Holloway of the Nelson Institute's Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE) ranked 226 countries according to their potential to make large volumes of biodiesel at low cost.

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