Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from renewable resources. The most commonly used feedstocks are rapeseed, soy and palm oil. Corn and tallow are also used. Rapeseed methyl ester (RME) is mainly produced in Europe; soy methyl ester (SME) comes mainly from the Americas; and palm methyl ester (PME) from Asia, in particular Malaysia and Indonesia.
Biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification to make the methyl ester with glycerine and is produced as a by-product.
Biodiesel can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines and most oil-fired boilers. It is suitable for most applications where regular diesel is currently used. It can also be used in most modern diesel engines without modification, including those in passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, light trucks, buses, ships, trains, off-road heavy equipment and mining equipment, as well as for home heating fuel, power generation and in two-stroke engines (as a mixing agent).