Fuel Ghoul

Biodiesel In Toronto

A Trendy Queen Street Filling Station!

Petro Green is an eco friendly filling station in the fashionable Queen St east area of Toronto. Here, Mohammed Gabr sells Canadian made biodiesel to drivers looking to make a difference and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Biodiesel can be used in place of regular diesel in most cars and trucks. This alternative fuel is a blend of low-sulfur diesel fuel and, most commonly, vegetable oil. Biodiesel can be blended with petroleum diesel in any proportion. B100 refers to 100% biodiesel fuel, while B20 references a more common blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel - this is what's available at Mohamed Gabr's green energy hotspot on the south west corner of Queen and Pape (1001 Queen St East).

Petro Green is a busy place – biodiesel is a hot commodity.

Mohammed Gabr, the manager of the gas station happily answered all my questions, even though he was working hard pumping fuel and making change - he was busy. There were at least two Alpine Roofing trucks waiting at the pumps, and two Dominon  Foods Stores delivery guys were having a conversation about work at the other side of the island. The price of biodiesel at 3pm in the afternoon of Monday June 11th was $101.9 a liter.

 
I snapped some random photos – including a shot of this rather strange sign: High Quality of Canadian Gasoline. What does that mean? What message is really contained in this sign? Is that a subtle call-to-action? Mohammed doesn’t even sell gasoline – he has been selling only biodiesel since the summer of 2006.

 
The B20 biodiesel that Mohammed Gabr sells at Petro Green on Queen East comes from Canada Clean Fuels in Brampton. CCF is the fastest growing fuel oil delivery service in Ontario. This new Canadian energy company provides virgin soy oil-based biodiesel to a range of clients in the southwestern part of the province, primarily municipalities and transit systems including those in Oshawa, Brampton, Burlington and Richmond Hill. Here's where I found out that Toronto Hydro also uses biodiesel in company vehicles, and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has been using B5 wherever possible for years.

An interesting fact - France is currently the world's largest producer of biodiesel. They have a huge industry and make and use biodiesel as heating oil and also in 50 percent blends with petrodiesel for cars and trucks.

Fuel Ghoul found this handy link to Toronto's Gas Prices while confirming the fact the Mohammed Gabr's Petro Green is the only retailer of Canada Clean Fuel's B20 biodiesel in downtown Toronto. Someday B50 and B100 will be sold everywhere in Canada, and pioneers like Mohammed Gabr and his Petro Green on Queen St E will be remembered as visionaries who played a small part in Canada's battle against climate change.

Green Motorboats in Northern Ontario

 

Anyone familiar with the raw beauty of Lake of the Woods in North Western Ontario will find it easy to believe that a recent government survey found sport fishing to be the most popular recreational activity in the region. Every spring, as soon as the ice breaks in Kenora, the most serious fishermen launch their watercraft and do maintenance on their boat's engine. Its a ritual. The summer's fishing season brings an annual economic boom as thousands of anglers migrate to the region.

 
That’s because Lake of the Woods is home to millions of healthy fish. In October 2006, an American tourist lodged at Big Narrows hooked a muskellunge that was just one inch and two pounds shy of Louis Spray's world-record (a 69-pound, 11-ounce musky on Oct. 20, 1949 at Chippewa Flowage in northern Wisconsin). This is all great news for the adventurous fishermen who trek out to Kenora each summer with hopes of hooking the world’s largest musky. Catching such a fish would instantly transform the lucky angler into a major fishing celebrity.

But this summer, boaters on the Lake of the Woods will be discussing something else – a new ethanol blend gasoline is available in the local marinas. Some users will feel good about saving money at the pumps (it’ll probably be priced a few cents cheaper than regular gasoline), other users might feel satisfied protecting the environment by improving their boat’s engine exhaust. But the most knowledgeable users will congratulate themselves for keeping carcinogenic compounds such as MTBE out of the water supply.

Good boaters, who take pride in their boat engines, will come to love ethanol fuels. Careless boaters who don’t properly maintain their boat engines will loath this new energy innovation. Here’s why - ethanol absorbs water, and improperly maintained marine fuel systems are very susceptible to water intrusion. 

 
As per GreenField Ethanol’s fact sheets , E10 is 90 per cent gasoline and 10 per cent ethanol. It has the ability to absorb 6,000 to 7,000 PPM of water into solution. That’s its water absorption threshold - the water inside that chemical bracket will be combusted without too much difficulty.  But when the fuel is saturated beyond its capacity to hold more water, ‘phase separation’ may occur. So here’s the skinny; in a standard 375 liter tank, the fuel could hold about 2.5 liters of water without separation.  Engine problems will arise when phase separation leaves two solutions: a high concentration of water and alcohol (that corrodes aluminum and other engine parts), and gasoline with no oxygenate that can and probably will damage the engine.

 
If phase separation happens, the only solution is to drain the system and start over again.

E10 absorbs water directly from humidity in the atmosphere through fuel vents in the engine and gas tank.  In 100 days at 70 per cent humidity E10 can absorb enough water to phase separate.  E10 is a fragile marine fuel that shouldn’t be left untreated for more than 60-90 days. Non-alcohol based fuel stabilizers can extend the life of the gas in humid conditions. Contrary to past practices it is now preferable to leave your boat low on gas when you travel back to the city, and use the boat as often as possible all summer long. For winter storage leave the tanks low (or empty) and treat any remaining fuel with a non-alcohol based stabilizer additive.

 
Boaters can check their gas by smearing Kolor Kut on a paint stick and plunging it into their gas tanks – this is called ‘sticking-a-tank’. Upon contact with water, the golden-brown paste turns a brilliant red. Boaters using ethanol can use the product to successfully gauge the water content of the fuel (plus sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, ammonia, soap solutions, salt, and other chloride solutions).

Fuel Ghoul has discovered that many Americans perceive ethanol as being poor marine fuel. This is caused in part by numerous articles on the internet and in boating magazines that focus on the negative aspects of this new fuel in motorboats, but almost all major marine engine manufacturers have said that ethanol blends are acceptable fuel choices. 

Boaters must add common sense to the mixture, and will benefit from knowing the follwoing basic principles in ethanol boat engine management.

 
First, do not mix ethanol with old formula fuel in the same tank. Ethanol does not combine well with Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) - this oxygenate is added to gas to chemically reduce emissions as it increases combustion.

 
Avoid water infusion into fuel system, and add non-alcohol based fuel stabilizers in the boat fuel system at all times – this is especially recommended for equipment that sits for extended periods with light use. Remember, the more actual use the boat gets, the less likely it is to have problems.  Don't leave large quantities of E10 fuel aboard idle boats.

 
Use proper fuel filters. Install good quality, ethanol compatible fuel filters and keep a supply of spare filters on board. Also remember to store the proper garments and necessary tools for spontaneous fuel filter changes. Responsible boaters will bag and store the old filter, and the gasoline it contains, onboard.

 
Remember ethanol and fiberglass fuel tanks don’t mix. Also fuel lines older than late 1980's should be inspected carefully and probably replaced. Some older carbureted engines may require special tuning – these days it’s easy to research the specs online at the engine manufacturer’s website. In fact, the best thing boaters using ethanol can do to make sure their boat’s engine is set to the manufacturer's tune-up specifications.

 
Fuel Ghoul congratulates all boaters using reformulated gasoline – they’re improving their motorboat engine’s emissions, and protecting the environment for future generations.

A Mean Green New York City Blog

Fuel Ghoul enjoyed correspondence with a like minded female blogger named Jamese Lamb. She writes a handy little dispatch that has real social relevance in
New York City. Imagine trying to be an environmentalist in a place like that?

Greener than Money is a very helpful online resource for finding green dry cleaners, and organic produce vendors; Jamese writes about toxins in the environment and unhealthy trends propagated by the media. It is excellent work.

Greener than money has a powerful subtext – Fuel Ghoul was just curious enough to write to Jamese Lamb and ask the following questions,  

How’s life in New York City?

Life in NYC is great! Just like any other place, we have unique difficulties and unique benefits that define us. I do believe though, that NYC has the ability to radically alter your thinking if you make the most of it. Even though NYC is super-urban, there is a great pro-environmental spirit here.

What made you become a green blogger?

College of course opened my eyes to life's inequities, one of the biggest being the information gaps between people. As a nursing student I have come to realize that the difference between a healthy person and a non healthy person is the access they have had to that information which would make a difference.

 
Can you give an example of this information gap?

On January 8th 2007, some gaseous smell spread across New York City, which the city promptly claimed was harmless, without any scientific basis for saying so.I was with friends and we experienced a number of bodily symptoms including weakness, headaches, dizziness, and tiredness, from something that was supposed to be "harmless". I also heard that some people had to be hospitalized, but the city still said everything was okay, and to stay where you are. Meanwhile, I fled. I realized that people need access to different forms of information to make the best decisions possible. As a blogger I can be a new environmental voice that can help people lead healthier lives.  

Are you making any money being a green blogger?

 I’ve just started Google Adsence recently, I’ve made about eight bucks, not much, but as my readership increases I’m sure revenue will increase. The best payment I suppose, is knowing I’ve done my part to make a difference.  

Fuel Ghoul endorses ethanol as this planet’s most viable alternative to petroleum. What alternative energy sources do you see playing a larger role in man’s future?

Yes about ethanol. I support the idea of diversifying our energy resources, but I don’t think it would be in our best interests to put all of our "eggs" so to speak in that basket for a few reasons. One, we have a finite amount of land and in order to get ethanol in the amount we needed, it would have to compete with land that is used for growing corn to eat. And two, the process of industrially raising crops is a bit energy heavy with the use of pesticides, herbicides, crop tending, and the like. I believe the real future is in completely renewable resources such as solar, wind, moving water, etc. There are also a few technologies which gain energy from our waste products like plasma or methane from our garbage. Using what we have in abundance will be better than creating more energy sources, the results of which are unknown....is the best way to go, in my opinion. 

Now you’re speaking Fuel Ghoul’s language Jamese Lamb! Everyone check out Greener than Money