The lower calorific value (LCV) or lower heating value (LHV) of biodiesel is 37.37 MJ/kg, whereas that for low sulfur diesel is 42.612 MJ/kg. The higher calorific value (HCV) or higher heating value (HHV) of biodiesel is 40.168 MJ/kg, whereas that for low sulfur diesel is 45.575 MJ/kg. Both heating val­ues of biodiesel are approximately 12% lower than those of low-sulfur diesel. Variations in the heating values for biodiesel are mainly from the variability of the biodiesel feedstock, that is, the source of triglycerides. A downside of biodiesel in comparison to petrodiesel is its lower calorific value, even though the difference is not very substantial. However, it has been claimed by fuel engineers that the ultimate fuel efficiency of biodiesel is comparable to that of petrodiesel, despite its lower energy density, thanks to several com­pensating factors including more complete combustion and better lubricity. The lower heating value of biodiesel is attributable to its oxygenated molec­ular structure in contrast to the nonoxygenated hydrocarbon structures of petrodiesel. Highly oxygenated structures of biodiesel adversely affect the
cold flow properties of biodiesel, which are represented by the fuel’s cloud point, pour point, and cold filter plugging point [47].