A recent test of Solazyme biodiesel, Soladiesel, through the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI), by request of the United States Department of Defense, demonstrated that Soladiesel has superior cold weather properties to any commercially available biodiesel. This makes it more suitable for cold weather climates where military bases have been previously unable to use biodiesel. Solazyme Inc is a biotechnology company that harnesses the power of microalgae to produce clean and scalable oils, biofuels, and “green” chemicals.
Former military fuels specialists note that new algae-based fuels could soon help the DoD to better comply with recently enacted mandates to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and use environmentally friendly fuels, including biodiesel.
Soladiesel exceeds both the requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) biodiesel standard D6751 and EN 14214, the European standard that ensures that biodiesel can safely run in any existing diesel engine.
A 2008 Ford F-450, supplied by BioDiesel University, part of the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, was used to demonstrate Solazyme's biofuel at the DESC conference, running on its original, factory-standard diesel engine with no modifications. The truck is powered by B100, which is 100% biodiesel made from 100% algae.