Crown, a leader in the oilseed processing industry, announces a new process upgrade for biodiesel manufacturers: advanced catalyst reduction and economization (ACRE).

ACRE allows biodiesel processing plants to run at the lowest operating cost and highest efficiency by adding a third transesterification reaction step while also delivering an energy-efficient design for reduced cooling load and steam use. The ACRE processing innovation is already running successfully in multiple plants and yielding impressive results in multiple geographies, and with multiple feedstocks. Plants in production are achieving 40-plus percent catalyst reduction and experiencing savings of 3 cents per gallon. In addition, ACRE is designed to reduce acid usages, promote energy savings through economization and increase manufacturing uptime.

As a system upgrade, ACRE is easily retrofitted into any unmodified Crown plant. This upgrade may also be available for centrifuge operations. Greenfield installations can benefit greatly from including this technology in designs to improve performance and total cost of ownership. In addition, with fewer moving parts to repair, Crown’s decanter-based biodiesel program supports a robust operation with proven reliability and increased uptime.

“ACRE is a great example of Crown’s long-standing reputation for innovation,” said Bill Antilla, general manager of Crown Global Companies. “Customers can expect more industry-leading solutions once our talented global team is up and running in our new Global Innovation Center next year.”

The 68,000 square-foot Crown Global Headquarters and World Class Innovation Center is now under construction in Blaine, Minnesota. This state-of-the-art facility will include a 15,000 square-foot fully functional plant with preparation, extraction and refining equipment connected to a comprehensive data acquisition system. Customers will be able to simulate plant-processing operations within a controlled environment to support trials and customer trainings. The center will serve as a world-class resource to global oilseed manufacturers, helping them optimize manufacturing capabilities by reducing energy and water usage, improving yields and reducing capital and operating costs.

Crown, a division of CPM Holdings Inc., is a 140-year-old Minnesota-based global company with additional offices in the U.K., Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, Honduras, Mexico, Russia and Ukraine. Crown currently employs 250 people worldwide.