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Biofuel has long been considered a practical solution to the fuel crisis by forward-thinking environmentalists. However, it has not been taken seriously by most of the country. Now, escalating fuel prices have made biodiesel more popular than ever before. With any new technology comes a criminal element and biofuel is not exception, according to a recent Associated Press article.

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel source that is made by refining used cooking oil. The oil is put through a process called transesterification, which removes glycerine and adds methanol. Depending on the vehicle’s modifications, the biofuel may be used directly or blended with traditional diesel.

Some small companies have sprung up in recent years to collect used oil from restaurants, refine it and resell it to the public. The city of San Francisco has even developed an organized biodiesel program. Biodiesel blends are now available at over 1,400 gas stations across the country.

So far, the biodiesel market has been small and largely self-regulated. Escalating prices for traditional diesel, however, have led to a surge in biodiesel prices, now up to approximately 66 cents per gallon for crude soybean oil and as much as $1.25 per gallon for clean, refined oil.

This is turn has brought a surge of oil thieves eager to cash in on the biodiesel market. These thieves siphon the crude oil from holding tanks and refine it in backyard stills. They then sell the results on the open market.

Biodiesel is likely to gain in popularity over the next decades. Over time, it is likely that the market will become more controlled and regulated. In the meantime, if you have converted your Mercedes-Benz vehicle to accept biodiesel, you may need to protect your oil supplies from thieves.