Biodiesel
ENCOURAGED by increasing interest in processing natural renewable sources to obtain a wide range of derived chemicals, including Diesel-fuel substitutes and detergent feedstocks, Desmet Ballestra has developed a continuous process of transesterification of vegetable oils (rapeseed, sunflower, soyabean etc) to produce Biodiesel.
The methylester technology development program carried out by Desmet Ballestra evolved through the realisation of several pilot plants of various capacity, also in cooperation with large multinational companies up to the full development
of a continuous process then implemented at commercial scale.
Desmet Ballestra was also awarded the contract for a project of a 30,000 TPY Methylester production Plant from rapeseed oil (to be implemented in Kiel - Germany).
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Desmet Ballestra is today in a position to design and supply Biodiesel production plants:
• with a capacity up to 200,000 t/year, and over
• complete with relevant (optional) oil refinery unit glycerine recovery and its (optional)up-grading to the highest international standards (DIN V 51606, NBB)pharmaceutical grade
• on a turn - key basis
The key factors of the Desmet Ballestra technology success:
Unique continuous process, which allows to work under milder operating conditions with constant quality and minimised specific consumptions of
raw materials and energy. Minimum quantity of effluents which virtually eliminates pollution and wastes disposal.
Higher process safety, thanks to lowest possible amount of methanol
handled in the whole process
Methylesters produced from various vegetable oils or animal fats can also be used in the detergent industry for total replacement of alkylates derived from petrochimical sources.
Methylesters can be used as such or as intermediates for the production of fatty alcohols, to be formulated in both detergents and cosmetics.
Other uses of the methylesters include ( but are not limited to ) the production of:
Esters for the food industry (food integrators, for human as well as animal food)
Esters utilized in cosmetic industry (amides/superamides production )
Esters to be applied as special lubricants and solvents
The plant is able to efficiently process different oils as:
Vegetable and animal oils and fats recovered as by product from food processing such as fatty oils cooked oils. This involves the addition of bleaching and filtering units to the standard plant configuration
By products coming from the oleochemical and soap industry, after being previously treated (oleins, etc.)
The type and quantity required to produce various types of biofuels need to be defined / chosen in accordance to the specific application.
