Posted January 11, 2010

Cenergy Power Systems Technologies, based in Orange Park, Fla., and founded by a former Caterpillar executive, started to focus on bio-power applications in 2009. Within two months of its incorporation, Germany-based 2G Bio-Energy Technology Corp.-with more than 1,000 power plants installed internationally-acquired 25 percent of Cenergy's stock. Now, Cenergy has an exclusive agreement to market 2G's combined heat and power (CHP) and biodiesel refining systems in the Americas.

"The joint venture with Cenergy will launch the entire 2G product line including biogas, landfill gas, sewage gas, and natural gas cogeneration modules," Cenergy said. "The option to establish a U.S. manufacturing plant is currently under evaluation for future expansion."

2G's biodiesel CHP cogeneration plants, with the registered name PLA-TEC, are specifically designed and made for straight vegetable and plant oil use; therefore, the units take in the same feedstock to make the biodiesel as it does to generate power for the process. Standard diesel engines made in the United States require extensive modifications and manufacturers don't provide warranties for straight vegetable oil use. "The 2G CHP engine can utilize a much lower quality feedstock to generate power for the biodiesel process," said Michael Turwitt, CEO of Cenergy. "This provides a significant cost advantage."

As biodiesel production trends more toward smaller scale units and variable feedstock supplies, the idea of using modular production units placed very close to the feedstock sources becomes more attractive all over the world, Cenergy said. "Larger plants have had a lot of difficulties but smaller ones are a great success," Turwitt told Biodiesel Magazine. "You can place these modules right next to a food processing plant, or an agricultural operation that has residuals available and process up to a 1 MMgy with this system."