Company from Ecuador develops cold-tolerant palm biodiesel
Ecuadorian company La Fabril SA, one of the largest producers of biodiesel from palm oil in the world and currently the largest exporter of biodiesel into the United States, announced today that it is commercially producing a biodiesel product made from palm oil that has a sub-zero Celsius cloud point.
Palm oil has been widely recognized as being the premier feedstock for making biodiesel. The only technical negative that has been attributed to biodiesel made from it has been its relatively high cloud point (the point at which liquid starts to gel). This poses a problem in cold climates like those of Norhtern Europe and North America. The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) was one of the first to develop cold-tolerant, low cloud point biodiesel, in a proprietary process [see Biofuels Policy at the MPOB - *.pdf]. The cloud point of the 'winterised' palm biodiesel produced by the MPOB to date has typically been above 13º Celsius, though. This is still too high to be suitable for use during the European/American winter.
La Fabril has now designed its own production process that lowers the cloud point even more. Its “Cold Flo Biodiesel” is not an additive but a biodiesel fuel that meets ASTM 6751 in the U.S. and EN 14214 in the European Union and that has consistently been tested to -3° Celsius:
biodiesel :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: palm oil :: cloud point
The biodiesel, which will be sold with a guarantee to withstand 0 degrees Celsius, will be marketed by Biodiesel Energy Systems, Inc., La Fabril’s marketing partner for the United States and Europe. It will be sold to a variety of customers that will put it into transportation, marine, heating oil and power generation applications.
La Fabril has exported more than ten million gallons of biodiesel to the United States in the past twelve months. The company currently has a production capacity of 36 million gallons per year and is completing a mid-refining addition that will allow it to expand to 100 million gallons per year. The company based in Manta, Ecuador is vertically integrated from palm plantations to the refinery. It has produced edible oil products from palm and other oils for over 40 years.
“Our years and experience in vegetable oils together with our commitment to R&D and to being an innovative company has given us the ability to bring this breakthrough product to the market so fast. We hope to see Cold Flo Biodiesel recognized as the premier biodiesel in the world,” said Carlos Gonzalez, General Manager and third generation principal of La Fabril.
Biodiesel produced from palm fruit is interchangeable with petroleum diesel and has many superior qualities over biodiesel produced from other feedstock, such as its oxidation rate. Palm Oil yields approximately 14 times more oil than soybean, which is more commonly used in the United States and much less expensive than rapeseed commonly used in Europe.
Palm oil has been widely recognized as being the premier feedstock for making biodiesel. The only technical negative that has been attributed to biodiesel made from it has been its relatively high cloud point (the point at which liquid starts to gel). This poses a problem in cold climates like those of Norhtern Europe and North America. The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) was one of the first to develop cold-tolerant, low cloud point biodiesel, in a proprietary process [see Biofuels Policy at the MPOB - *.pdf]. The cloud point of the 'winterised' palm biodiesel produced by the MPOB to date has typically been above 13º Celsius, though. This is still too high to be suitable for use during the European/American winter.
La Fabril has now designed its own production process that lowers the cloud point even more. Its “Cold Flo Biodiesel” is not an additive but a biodiesel fuel that meets ASTM 6751 in the U.S. and EN 14214 in the European Union and that has consistently been tested to -3° Celsius:
biodiesel :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: palm oil :: cloud point
The biodiesel, which will be sold with a guarantee to withstand 0 degrees Celsius, will be marketed by Biodiesel Energy Systems, Inc., La Fabril’s marketing partner for the United States and Europe. It will be sold to a variety of customers that will put it into transportation, marine, heating oil and power generation applications.
La Fabril has exported more than ten million gallons of biodiesel to the United States in the past twelve months. The company currently has a production capacity of 36 million gallons per year and is completing a mid-refining addition that will allow it to expand to 100 million gallons per year. The company based in Manta, Ecuador is vertically integrated from palm plantations to the refinery. It has produced edible oil products from palm and other oils for over 40 years.
“Our years and experience in vegetable oils together with our commitment to R&D and to being an innovative company has given us the ability to bring this breakthrough product to the market so fast. We hope to see Cold Flo Biodiesel recognized as the premier biodiesel in the world,” said Carlos Gonzalez, General Manager and third generation principal of La Fabril.
Biodiesel produced from palm fruit is interchangeable with petroleum diesel and has many superior qualities over biodiesel produced from other feedstock, such as its oxidation rate. Palm Oil yields approximately 14 times more oil than soybean, which is more commonly used in the United States and much less expensive than rapeseed commonly used in Europe.
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