Update: Breakthrough Biodiesel Process Now Running At Commercial Scale
Just about this time last year I reported on the very promising and innovative Mcgyan® biodiesel process. It was one of the most popular stories gas 2.0 ran that year, and rightly so: the breakthrough seemed to deliver the possibility of making biodiesel in mere seconds from start to finish, reducing costs by half the price of other biodiesel, producing no waste, using no chemical reactants, and using any animal fat or vegetable oil as a feedstock.
At the time the company in charge of the project, Ever Cat fuels, had only succeeded at making a small-scale pilot operation of 50,000 gallons per year. But, as of 2 days ago, the process has been completely commercialized.
- » See also: Biofuels Breakthrough: Making Fuel From Air With Engineered Microbes
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Ever Cat opened the doors to it’s new biodiesel facility in rural Isanti, MN on September 28, 2009. The plant currently employs 20 people, and is capable of delivering 3 million gallons of biodiesel a year (MGY). Ever Cat has set its eyes firmly on increasing that capacity to 33 MGY within the next 3 years.
Rather than producing the biodiesel in large batches, as is the norm for the industry, the Mcgyan® process allows for continuous production of a “stream” of biodiesel.
“The Mcgyan® process uses no water, no chemicals, produces no waste products and the conversion takes just seconds in two reactors that are only 6 feet tall by 6 inches in diameter,” explained Chief Science Officer, Dr. Clayton McNeff in a statement. “The two reactors continuously catalyze more than a trillion‐trillion reactions per second. The process is modular and can be scaled from the farm scale to the refinery scale. We believe this is a major step towards energy independence in the United States. The use of low cost waste oils vastly improves the economics of biodiesel production and makes good use of these low value commodities.”
When the plant reaches full capacity in less than a week, it will be producing 10,000 gallons per day—more than a truckload.
It’s beyond me that this hasn’t gotten more attention. But as with all things biofuel these days, the share of the limelight seems to be slim-to-none.
For more detailed info on the Mcgyan® process, read my previous post on the subject.
Source: Biofuels Digest
Image Credit: Ever Cat Fuels
wow this is the most impacting news in a long time. it gives me great hope for a much better future
Now if one of the Algae Bio-oil makers could hook up with this process I think it would be a perfect match.
Is the alcohol consumed or is it part of a catylst that can be recovered? This seems to be the big issue since making a large amount of it can be a limiting factor if it comptetes with arable land for trivial things such as food.
I would like to know the net input and output in terms of materials too…. Just to be sure that it really IS clean…
click on the link to the older article it it will explain that all the alcohol is reused
Is this the outgrowth of that process using a zirconium sulphate catalyst that was developed at a small Midwestern college? If so I’m glad to see them push through with this process and make it pay!
Now if only Detroit will make a midsized car that
will run on biodiesel(B20+) for less than $25,000.00
You should do an article on how the State of California has destroyed its biodiesel business by making it illegal to store biodiesel in underground tanks.
I’m a biodiesel user, bought an old diesel for the sole purpose of using biodiesel, and now it’s no longer available for purchase.
It should be a big story. It’s deplorable. I mean, we’re talking California, a huge state.
I’ll be meeting with the Ever Cat folks in a few weeks. I’ll let my Gas 2.0 friends know what I find out.
Bob Moffitt, communications director, Clean Fuel & Vehicle Technology program, American Lung Association in Minnesota.
Wow what a brilliant idea. Let us grab as much vegetable oil as we can process and use that to drive our hummers.
What if a family in the 3rd world has to go hungry because of my weekly commute ?!