Manitoba to mandate biodiesel blends

This province is supposed to enforce biodiesel in this province http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/09/10/mb-biodiesel-fuel-manitoba.html and I have concerns:

1. This will be the first North American jurisdiction to enforce biodiesel in a cold climate as far as I know. The temperatures here can be expected to dip to -35C any one winter and can go as low as -45 sometimes, what will be the impact on the 2009 CR and its DPF? Any guesses.
2. What will happen to the ash content of fuel when biodiesel is being included?
3. What is the difference between the effects of biodiesel on diesel powered highway transport trucks, farm machinery such as tractors, school buses, and the consumer's CR diesel.

Worried ...

Minnesota has required 2% biodiesel since September 2005. We had the same concerns from farmers and truckers, but there haven't been any substantial issues AFAIK. B5 was mandated as of May 2009, we'll see how well it goes this winter.

I realize Minnesota is not quite as cold as Manitoba, but it's at least one data point.

NM has mandated the use of B5 by 2012. Wait, we're a littler warmer down here than y'all are, huh?

I wish we had easy access to BioD up here. I was excited about this thinking that perhaps we'd see B5-20 pumps in places.

Don't the new CR's support bio up to a certain concentration? B5? Someone who has an owners manual can check...

The CRs specify B5 MAXIMUM. Which is one reason I'm concerned with buying one. Minnesota has mandated B10 in 2012, although I understand they won't implement the mandate unless they have approval from every manufacturer.

My owner's manual for the 2009 says that B5 is the maximum. B11 is "forbidden". That tells me that the manufacturers would rather not even think of it and are probably forced into saying it to comply with legislation.

That being said, in Manitoba here, some trucking association is very concerned. They asked that the pumps be labelled with the Bio number but that seems to be ignored. However the distributers of biofuel is really whooping it up. The plan is to use this as an outlet for oilseeds that do not make the food grade.

What makes me nervous is that the testing has been done on school buses which as far as I know do not have CR technology and would also have the quiet but infinite backing of government resources to fix whatever failed.

The only reference that I can find of any testing done on CR engines is here:
Even if they say that after the engine oil was diluted by 45%, there was no damage (that they detected); that can't be good - especially in cold climates.

Yea, I saw that 45% fuel dilution number as well. It seems like it must be a typo to me. 4.5% dilution is cause for concern on an oil report.

I'm concerned as well, and will be monitoring the oil in my mom's 2000 Jetta for fuel dilution with the new B5 mandate. I'll shorten the OCI appropriately and take it into account if I buy a new Tdi.

From poking around here there are numerous users of B5-100 in ALH motors that do not appear to suffer from oil dilution so i doubt that would be a huge concern on ALH engines.

There are lots of CR cummins diesels and powerstroke's on the road too... one would think they would have issues with oil dilution as well.

I agree it's likely much less of an issue with an ALH car than a CR car with regen, but it will be interesting to see if there's a change from the pre B5 results.