It looks just like any other motor oil when it's being poured into an engine, but the Capital District Transportation Authority is trying something a little different as a lubricant: a biodegradable non-petroleum "green" motor oil.

CDTA will be giving the new product, G-Oil Engine Oil, a trying its fleet of about 40 non-bus support vehicles.

The oil, which actually has a slight greenish tinge, is made by a Connecticut company from biodegradable animal fats--and backers say using it could make a small contribution to cutting the nation's reliance on petroleum.

"There's a little for us to gain and nothing for us to lose," said CDTA Executive Director Carm Basile.

The regional mass-transit agency will do tests as vehicles are brought in for future oil changes, but after the first two months of using G-Oil the new product seems to be working out well, CDTA officials said.

"We've had no problems with the vehicles, no issues with engine performance," said Dennis Dugan, CDTA's Director of Maintenance.

He said the oil, rated 5W-30, isn't suitable for use in CDTA's heavy diesel bus fleet, but it is going to be used in all authority-owned support vehicles: the cars, light trucks and SUVs that are driven by CDTA's managers, road supervisors, garage mechanics, and other employees at CDTA's main garage and administrative offices at 110 Watervliet Ave.

CDTA expects to use enough of the oil to have bought a 55-gallon drum of it, roughly a three-month supply.

The "green" oil has been certified as meeting motor oil standards by the American Petroleum Institute.

But unlike conventional oil, the manufacturer says this oil would break down in the environment within 28 days if there were a spill, and it causes less pollution if it burns.

Eco-Friendly Efforts

Basile said the lubricant slips nicely into CDTA's efforts to be eco-friendly.

"As an environmentally conscious organization, we will continue to increase our efforts to "green" our system by adopting renewable and clean energy products and programs that advance our green mission, support an energy independent future and benefit our customers and community," he said.

The biodegradable oil is distributed by Green Planet Products, a Galesi Group company, with its East Coast warehousing operations in the Rotterdam Industrial Park.

Green Planet Products President S.Lee Bowden said the oil's manufacturer, Green Earth Technologies of Stamford, Connecticut, has developed a method that uses nanotechnology to convert beef fats into a carbon form that imitates petroleum.  The company began marketing an oil suitable for two-cycle engines about three years ago, and then about six months ago had an oil certified for use in standard auto engines.

Green Planet Products says its oil is both more environmentally benign than petroleum-based oil and comes from a plentiful domestic source--slaughtered beef cattle.

"It reduces dependence on foreign oil, and with what's going on right now in the Gulf of Mexico that's all the more important," Bowden said. "The source is readily available."

An average slaughtered beef animal has enough fat left over, about 200 pounds, to be converted into 110 quarts of the "green" oil, Bowden said---so there's no risk of an immediate shortage of the raw material.

"Doing the math, there's plenty," Bowden said.

Bowden said the tallow-based product is going to appeal to companies and organizations that have vehicle fleets they maintain and are trying to reduce their environmental impacts.  CDTA has an ongoing "Go Green" initiative.  It has bought dozens of electric-diesel hybrid buses in recent years, and purchase hybrids and even hydrogen-powered vehicles for its support fleet.

Those established initiatives make using the motor oil worth a try, Basile said.

"If the green oils prove to provide clean energy benefits, consistently perform well and are cost-effective, we will continue to use them in our daily maintenance operations," he said.

Costs a little more

The "green" oil is a little more expensive than standard motor oil-- about $7 per gallon at the government wholesale price, versus $5 per gallon for standard oil.  Bowden said it's still less expensive than synthetic oils, though.

With CDTA using about 200 gallons of motor oil a year it its support fleet, the additional cost of the oil isn't a significant issue, Basile said.

CDTA isn't the only large local customer using G-Oil.

Schenectady County began using it in its fleet vehicles in December, becoming the first municipal government to adopt it.  General Electric is also trying it, Bowden said.  It's used in the forklifts at the Rotterdam Industrial Park.

Green Planet Products also distributes grades of "green" oil made for boat motors and small engines-- and Bowden said it is close to marketing a new fluid that would be a substitute for hydraulic fluid, and a motor designed for diesel engines.

Last week, Central Vermont Public Service of Rutland, the public utility for much of the state of Vermont, began mandating a small engine grade of the oil for use by its forestry division, where employers and contractors use chain saws and lawn mowers to clear and maintain power line corridors.

Individuals can also buy the bio-degradable oil for their cars, though it is currently only available at a few locations.

Bowden said Green Planet Products motor oils are available Auto Zone and Pep Boys stores, or they can be purchased on Amazon.com.