Canadian company creates canola-based biodiesel

Milligan Bio-Tech, a Canadian biodiesel producer, has created 100% biodiesel from off-grade canola that will enable a car to drive quarter of a mile in around 6.5 seconds at 250mph.

The canola-based biodiesel was used to test-drive a 2007 Corvette jet funny car at Castrol Raceway in August.

'Milligan's 100% biodiesel works very similarly to normal diesel,' Carl Perlinger, the company's business development manager, says. 'Only some minor adjustments to the injectors are required to make sure the car runs on the biodiesel. Canola carries unique lubricity properties that are not visible in other feedstock, making canola one of, if not, the best feedstock to use for biodiesel production.'

Canola-based biodiesel also performs better than animal tallow or soy-based biodiesel during cold weather conditions. Canola-based biodiesel will begin to gel at approximately -14ºC, whereas animal tallow biodiesel will gel at 20 ºC and soy-based biodiesel will gel at near 0 ºC, Perlinger says.

Milligan uses off-grade canola that is not suitable for the food industry.