Enzymatic biodiesel pilot plant to open soon
July 13, 2010
At a ceremony in July, Piedmont Biofuels LLC was scheduled to unveil its newest technology for renewable fuel production, an enzymatic biodiesel plant.
The new process technology was developed in partnership with the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, major enzyme-maker Novozymes, and the Chatham County Economic Development Corp. This is the first pilot plant of its kind in the U.S. and uses cutting-edge technology developed by Piedmont Biofuels and Novozymes to create high-quality biodiesel from low-quality waste grease.
Lyle Estill, president of Piedmont Biofuels, told Biodiesel Magazine to think of the new process as "Biodiesel 3.0." Conventional transesterification methods form soaps or salts in both the biodiesel and glycerin phases, producing low-grade coproducts.
"This new process of using enzymes to produce biodiesel will increase yields, decrease waste and allow producers to use lower cost feedstocks," says Greg Austic of Piedmont Biofuels. "This groundbreaking technology will create more valuable coproducts, and will allow existing producers to double their biodiesel output." Glycerin, a coproduct resulting from the enzymatic process, can be used to make a wide variety of products, including bioplastics and solvents.
The new process technology was developed in partnership with the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, major enzyme-maker Novozymes, and the Chatham County Economic Development Corp. This is the first pilot plant of its kind in the U.S. and uses cutting-edge technology developed by Piedmont Biofuels and Novozymes to create high-quality biodiesel from low-quality waste grease.
Lyle Estill, president of Piedmont Biofuels, told Biodiesel Magazine to think of the new process as "Biodiesel 3.0." Conventional transesterification methods form soaps or salts in both the biodiesel and glycerin phases, producing low-grade coproducts.
"This new process of using enzymes to produce biodiesel will increase yields, decrease waste and allow producers to use lower cost feedstocks," says Greg Austic of Piedmont Biofuels. "This groundbreaking technology will create more valuable coproducts, and will allow existing producers to double their biodiesel output." Glycerin, a coproduct resulting from the enzymatic process, can be used to make a wide variety of products, including bioplastics and solvents.
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