The government’s anti-inflation package, which was approved by French MPs on Thursday, also contains one interesting addition. Opposition Greens MP Julien Bayou pushed through a proposal that would allow car tanks to be filled with used oil from home fryers and fast food.
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The deputy explained to the government that eight liters of fuel can be obtained from ten liters of used cooking oil. However, burning it saves up to 90 percent of greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional diesel.
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The use of cooking oil in engines was until now a customs offense in France and the motorist could be fined for it. Another problem is that cars with diesel engines are only insured in case diesel is poured into the tank. If it had a different fuel and there was an accident, the driver of such a car would have problems claiming the insurance.
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“It is illegal in France, very widespread in Europe and secretly in our regions,” the agency quoted AFP Bayou. The MP also emphasized that the use of such fuel is in line with the government’s climate policy. Given that the price of diesel already exceeds two euros (49 crowns) at French pumps, this solution would also ease the wallets of many French people.
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Best for agricultural machines with a dual-fuel engine
“It is better to be dependent on the oil of the fries from the north than on the oil of the oil monarchies,” he said with a smile, adding the old slogan “We don’t have oil in France, but we have oil from the fryers”.
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Michal Vojtíšek, an expert on the development of new fuels, who works at the Institute of Automobiles, Internal Combustion Engines and Rail Vehicles of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague, points out the specifics of this type of fuel: “Igniting vegetable oil is not always easy, and problems can arise during cold starts and idling. Vegetable oils are suitable for use in engines that are operated more continuously at medium to higher loads. The ideal case would be tractors during plowing or trucks on the highway,” explained Seznam Zprávám.
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When used in passenger cars traveling in urban convoys, they do not see the benefits of edible oils. Also because the newer the cars have engines, the more susceptible they are to various impurities in the fuels and their quality.
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“I expect that mainly agricultural machinery equipped with a dual-fuel system will be used for this. A small number of different DIYers will probably use food grade oils in cars as well,” he says. According to him, the used oil is then more prone to degradation because it can contain various other ingredients, for example residues of deep fryer cleaners.
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According to the non-profit Roule Ma frite, 170 million liters of cooking oil are used in France every year. If cars now run on it, it will be a welcome alternative to fossil fuels. Before filling the tank, however, the oil must first be poured over and filtered, because the remains of potatoes or other food would not be good for the engines.
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If done incorrectly, drivers must expect clogged injectors and limited power. In addition, some vehicles need service and minor adjustments to make the engine accept vegetable fluid work.
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Airbus is also testing vegetable fuels
The 170 million liters of oil are, however, only a fraction of the amount of diesel that is driven annually in France. “In the Czech Republic, the annual consumption is several million tons of diesel, so the stated amount is one percent of our diesel consumption,” reminds expert Vojtíšek.
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Considering that frying oils, waste fats and other possible alternatives to liquid fuels can replace only a minor part of our consumption of gasoline and diesel, the European Commission is pushing for the use of electric cars, according to him.
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The industry is already considering mixing 10 to 30% of fuel made from vegetable oils into diesel fuel. Airbus is already testing it on its planes, the newspaper reports The Parisian.
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In Europe, this alternative fuel is no longer an exception, vegetable oil is added to diesel, for example, in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain or Belgium.
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Michal Vojtíšek considers the step of the French parliament to be a positive effort to achieve energy independence, as it has removed a legislative obstacle and is counting on the use of locally produced biofuels.
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