Experiencias de aprovechamiento de residuos para la generación de biodiésel en Colombia y México

Abstract

In the search for alternatives to fossil fuels, diverse technologies for the production of biofuels have been developed. Among them is biodiesel, which can be obtained from oil seeds or oil residues generated from agriculture, livestock and urban activities. With the approval in 2001 of Act-693 “Uses of Alcohol Fuels”, Colombia began the era of biofuels and currently has nine biodiesel production plants from palm oil. In the case of Mexico, in 2008 the Law on Promotion and Development of Bioenergetics was enacted. This laid the foundation for the production of biodiesel on an industrial level nationally. In Mexico, six biodiesel plants were installed in the states of Chiapas, Michoacán and Nuevo León capable of processing, Jatropha Curcas L., palm oil, castor oil, waste vegetable oil and animal tallow. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to show a comparative analysis of the development of the biodiesel industry in Colombia and Mexico, considering the use of waste. According to the results, the biodiesel production in Colombia is based on a technology that processes palm which generates waste. The latter is used as an energy source in other processes. The use of waste for biodiesel is under investigation. In Mexico, the technologies of the plants were designed to process waste and oil seeds. These oil seeds generate residues that are not reused.