A biodiesel vehicle is seen at Dogpatch Biofuels filling station in San Francisco, California January 8, 2015. — Reuters picKUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — The B10 biodiesel that Putrajaya plans to introduce in October is unsuitable for modern diesel engines and will cause “severe damage”, according to German carmaker BMW.
The luxury brand said its testing found that the palm oil content, from which the B10 name is derived, would migrate from the combustion chamber of the engine into the lubricant oil during operation and contaminate it.
The dilution compromises the ability of the oil to provide adequate lubrication for moving parts, posing a risk of long-term and potentially catastrophic failures.
“In our tests with B10 Biodiesel worldwide, we have found technical challenges present when blending 10 per cent of palm-based methyl ester with the current conventional fuel.
“The current modern diesel engines in Malaysia are well suited to run on the B7 levels of biodiesel, however, while biodiesel is introduced with the intention of promoting the use of clean and green technology as well as to increase the domestic use of palm products in the country, we must ensure that the technology is safe and proven to also benefit the industrial and the automotive sector,” it said in a statement.
Aside from engine damage, it said the B10 fuel would also compromise the performance and operation of the precision injection systems used in modern diesel engines.
Among others, it said the deposits from the biodiesel would clog the fuel injection system, resulting in inconsistent acceleration, rough idling, increased emissions, and higher engine noise.
“B10 biodiesel also results in higher levels of water in the fuel, which leads to corrosion of the components, which transport the fuel and promotes oxidation in the tank which causes a blocked fuel filter,” it added.
Minister of Plantations Industries and Commodities Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas yesterday announced that B10 biodiesel will be introduced in October, replacing the current B7 variant.
“The meetings with stakeholders will be completed by end-June,” Embas was quoted as saying in a Reuters news report.
The name B10 is derived from the 10 per cent palm-derived esters that are added to conventional diesel; B7 uses 7 per cent of the same esters.
Reuters also reported that the B10 may lend support to palm oil prices that have fallen to RM2,344 per tonne currently
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/new-biodiesel-will-cause-severe-engine-damage-warns-bmw-ahead-of-october-ro#sthash.9ragwlNF.dpuf
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