In all likelihood, making biodiesel may not have entered your mind before. You might on occasion have come across one of those buses, fuelled by soy power and wondered what it was all about, or you might just have had enough of those constant ups and downs at the petrol station. Have you calculated the size of your carbon footprint yet? We’re all stopping to think about how we contribute to an overall problem of global warming and as we see the politicians treading water, we’re considering what we can do to push.

Some people think that they cannot make biodiesel fuel cost effectively or safely, but they are incorrect. Many thousands of people do this and use the fuel that they manufacture to get back and forth to work each day and live their lives normally. It takes a little bit of application to understand the process until perfected and you do have to use some caution and common sense. However, all the materials that you need are readily available and you do not need a degree in chemistry to help you to get through it!

It’s absolutely crucial to keep in mind that you need to beware of applying any overly simplistic advice or a simply written ‘how to,’ such as the example below, and before ever attempting to produce biodiesel, you must be in possession of highly detailed information on the steps involved along with thorough, in-depth safety advice and guidelines:

Making homemade biodiesel involves a process known as transesterification. A catalyst, also known as lye, will remove glycerine from vegetable or animal oils and fats, resulting in a solution that you can use in your existing diesel motor.

The catalyst you need is basically potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda and you also need methanol. The lye and the methanol must be kept protected from the environment as they absorb moisture and you must use pure products.

Measure out 200 mL of methanol into a sturdy plastic container and then add the lye, or caustic soda. All containers, including the plastic bottle should be tightly closed. Shake the container a few times until everything is dissolved.

Preheat the soy or vegetable oil to about 130°F and pour it into a blender. Add your mixture, close tightly and blend for about 30 minutes. The resulting mixture should be decanted into a large and strong bottle with a tight lid. After 24 hours of settling, the glycerine, which is the darker colour, is settled on the bottom. When this is the case, extract the biodiesel, essentially the top layer into a clean jar, being careful not to get any of the glycerine layer mixed in.

Next you will need to wash your resultant mixture to remove the remaining imperfections by adding clean water, then letting it settle for about four hours or so, and finally allowing the water to drain through a hole in the bottom of your container that you will have made earlier on.

You may have to repeat the process, but when the product is clear, the water will have evaporated and you will have made your first batch of biodiesel fuel! Before you get started on your new road to discovery, get your hands on some expert safety advice – which is essential, on how to make biodiesel to an internationally accepted standard, while being safe doing it!