World's First Carbon-Neutral Biodiesel Plant Coming to Idaho
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.16.06
Green Star Products, Inc. (GSPI) will build the first biodiesel plant to emit almost zero net greenhouse gases from direct plant production of biodiesel. We've been following the rise of biodiesel as an alternative to fossil fuels and gasoline (from the geography of the fuel to the celebs who use it to its addition to the dictionary), so we know that most production plants require heating input, usually from natural gas, require electricity from local utilities, which emit CO(2), and that the chemical processes uses 10% methanol (wood alcohol) made from natural gas, all of which contribute to our warming planet. GSPI has considered all of these factors in the design of their new plant; Joseph P. LaStella, P.E., President of GSPI, explains:
"First, our proprietary continuous flow waterless process requires less than one-third the electrical energy to operate versus existing batch plants. Therefore, we have decided to furnish our own electric generators, which will run on our own biodiesel. The existing electrical utility connections will only serve as an emergency backup service.
Second, biodiesel plants require heat for processing. Our boilers will run on biodiesel and will only serve as a backup heat source for the plant. Our biodiesel facility is located within 200 yards of a co-generation power plant. We are in negotiations to utilize some of the waste heat from that plant. Steam power plants must condense their steam through condensers before it can be reheated and returned to power the steam turbine. GSPI can extract all the heat it needs right before the power plant condensers. Therefore, not only does this utilize waste heat, it also increases the efficiency of the power plant.
Third, the entire biodiesel industry uses methanol in their process to chemically convert feedstock soy oil, canola oil, etc. to biodiesel fuel (which is a methyl ester). Almost all of the methanol used in the U.S. comes from South American countries and of course is not renewable because it is produced from natural gas. Methanol is used by the industry because it is less expensive and has some advantages over using ethanol, which can also be used to make biodiesel, except it is much more expensive. GSPI will use ethanol to process biodiesel and transform the Idaho facility into a 100% renewable one in which 100% of the products are made in the U.S."
The new facility, located in Glenns Ferry, Idaho, will have a startup biodiesel production capacity of 10 million gallons per year. However, most of the equipment is designed for a quick expansion as state demand increases. The facility's infrastructure can support 60 million gallons per year capacity, not including the supporting ethanol production. ::Green Star Products, Inc. via ::CSRwire
Wow this almost sounds great until you realize that all of the crops that went into producing the biodiesel were probably made from Corn or other plants which have so many fossel fuel inputs (e.g., fertilizers, the machinery that harvests the product, transportation of the product to the biodiesel plant, etc) that you should realize that this is not a totally zero CO2 process. Do not get me wrong, I am a big believer in Biodiesel, however not on a massive commercial scale. The only way Biodiesel will be viable is on a small local scale. Otherwise it will begin competing with food production. Lastly, it has been scientifically proven that biodiesel made from corn ethanol for instance is a net energy looser, that is you burn more energy creating the final energy product than you get out of it! Thus resulting in greater fossel fuel dependency. In life there simply are no free lunches, we will either need to reduce our energy consumption signifiantly or face some fairly grim times ahead.
Michael Winkler PhD
Copenhagen Denmark
If they were making it from algae they could pump the exhaust from their boiler/generator into the ponds and the plants would use the co2 in it.
Michael, regarding:
"it has been scientifically proven that biodiesel made from corn ethanol for instance is a net energy looser"
I believe you are thinking of the process of making ethonal (not biodeisel) from corn.
Corn is by no means the best choice for the source of veggie oil to make Biodiesel, but, you have to start somewhere!
When farmers start to see some real profits from selling their products for the purpose of veggie oil, than they will switch to more efficient oil producing plants like rapseed.
Unfortunately "algae to biodisel" while promising, is still in the reasearch phase.
CO2 emissions will be down but what is the story with the other emissions...will NOX emissions be up or down?
I Think That Brent^^(above) Is Riht Whats Next For Our Delecate And Fragile Planet.
Regards
Helen&Rosy
I Think That Brent^^(above) Is Riht Whats Next For Our Delecate And Fragile Planet.
Regards
Helen&Rosy