el ▁is ▁an ▁effective ▁sol vent ▁to ▁oil ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁m eth yl ▁est er ▁component , ▁which ▁consider ably ▁low ers ▁the ▁vis cos ity ▁of ▁the ▁cru de ▁oil . ▁Additionally , ▁it ▁has ▁a ▁higher ▁bu oy ancy ▁than ▁cru de ▁oil , ▁which ▁later ▁a ids ▁in ▁its ▁removal . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁ 8 0 % ▁of ▁oil ▁was ▁removed ▁from ▁c ob ble ▁and ▁fine ▁sand , ▁ 5 0 % ▁in ▁co arse ▁sand , ▁and ▁ 3 0 % ▁in ▁gra vel . ▁Once ▁the ▁oil ▁is ▁liber ated ▁from ▁the ▁sh or eline , ▁the ▁oil - b iod ies el ▁mixture ▁is ▁manually ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁water ▁surface ▁with ▁sk imm ers . ▁Any ▁remaining ▁mixture ▁is ▁easily ▁broken ▁down ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁high ▁bi ode grad ability ▁of ▁b iod ies el , ▁and ▁the ▁increased ▁surface ▁area ▁expos ure ▁of ▁the ▁mixture . ▁ ▁B iod ies el ▁in ▁gener ators ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁U C ▁R ivers ide ▁installed ▁a ▁ 6 - m eg aw att ▁backup ▁power ▁system ▁that ▁is ▁entirely ▁fue led ▁by ▁b iod ies el . ▁Back up ▁dies el - f ue led ▁gener ators ▁allow ▁companies ▁to ▁avoid ▁dam aging ▁black outs ▁of ▁critical ▁operations ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁high ▁poll ution ▁and ▁emission ▁rates . ▁By ▁using ▁B 1 0 0 , ▁these ▁gener ators ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁essentially ▁eliminate ▁the ▁by products ▁that