Biofuels Journal - July/August 2008 - (Page 76)

On-Site Methanol Dual Plants Planned, Biodiesel and Synthetic Diesel A 2.5-million-gallon-per-year (MMGY) biodiesel plant to be built in Toronto, ON will produce its own methanol on-site. Methanol, one of the main components needed to produce biodiesel, can be expensive. The biodiesel plant, a project of W2 Energy—based in Carson City, NV, with offices in Philadelphia and Toronto, ON (416-246-1100)—is the first of two plants to be built in the Toronto area, according to CEO Mike McLaren. The biodiesel plant will be up and running by 2009, producing biodiesel and “biomethanol,” he said. The biodiesel will meet fuel,” McClaren said. Methanol From Waste According to McLaren, W2 will utilize “off-the-shelf technology” to produce methanol. The company will utilize a plasma technology that decomposes biomass into synthesis gas (syngas). “The secret is to deliver syngas from carbonaceous waste,” McLaren noted. “Through catalytic technology, we produce methanol,” McLaren said. “That’s one of the reasons we decided to get into the biodiesel market, since methanol is used in the production of biodiesel.” Blending Fuels leum B10 or B20,” he added. “We won’t have gelling problems because we are blending biodiesel with pure synthetic diesel.” Instead of Ethanol Plants? McLaren believes the United States should switch to producing synthetic diesel instead of ethanol. “Through catalytic technology, we produce methanol. That’s one of the reasons we decided to get into the biodiesel market, since methanol is used in the production of biodiesel.” - Mike McLaren, CEO, W2 Energy European and American specifications, he noted. The second plant will produce synthetic diesel from biomass feedstocks utilizing W2 Energy’s proprietary gasification process. The advantages of synthetic diesel, said McLaren, are that it can be utilized in diesel engines with no modifications and has the same low sulphur emissions as biodiesel. “One of our primary purposes in life is the gasification of biomass into liquid Eventually, the biodiesel produced at the first plant will be blended with the synthetic diesel produced at the second plant, McLaren said. The second plant will be a commercial-scale demonstration plant for synthetic diesel, producing 25 barrels of fuel per day. “This synthetic diesel plant will be a modular-style plant which can be scaled up,” McLaren added. The synthetic diesel, according to McLaren, is a low sulphur diesel requiring no modifications to existing diesel engines to utilize the fuel. “This synthetic diesel meets all the specifications for Europe and America,” he said. “This will be a true green fuel,” McLaren said, indicating that the feedstock for the blended fuel will be biomass. “It has the same properties of petro- Coal, he said, could be a feedstock for synthetic diesel, eliminating any need to use corn or soybeans for fuel. “We have enough coal,” McLaren said indicating there is more than a 200-year supply of coal in the United States. “It is a commercially viable, scalable process,” McClaren said. “It is a huge mistake North America is taking going down the path of ethanol,” McLaren continued. “In the last two weeks, I have had a lot of contacts where people were going to build ethanol plants and the developers have decided to pull out because there is no money. “Those could now be synthetic diesel plants, instead.” Myke Feinman, editor 76 BFJ | JULY/AUG 08

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Biofuels Journal - July/August 2008

Biofuels Journal - July/August 2008 Contents Future Food and Fuel Operations Mainbar Total Kernel Optimalization Safety Integrated Systems CHP Reduces Costs Biomass Gasification State Report: Georgia Patriot Renewable Fuels LLC - Annawan, IL RFS Waiver Denied EPA CHP Awards Ethanol in Brazil E-10 Saves Consumers $ Ethanol Logistics Conference Monthly Ethanol Production Methanol Battery Stephen Chalk, U.S. Department of Energy Levelland Hockley County Ethanol LLC - Levelland, TX Life Cycle Analyses Kansas State University’s Biofuels Degree Alliance for Abundant Energy Open Fuel Standards Act Intermediate Blend Study Project Liberty Update Ethanol Plants in the Pipeline BioFuels Journal New Tech Workshop DDGS Rules Ethanol World DDGS as Fertilizer American Biodiesel, Inc. dba Community Fuels - Encinitas, CA CRADAS Hawaiian Algae GreenHunter Energy, Inc. - Grapevine, TX LST Sailing Mississippi River W2 Energy to Form Biodiesel Subsidiary DOE on Fuel Efficient Truck Lugar Research Center Camelina Grant for Blue Sun Biodiesel Earthrace Breaks Record Global Energy Richard Mankowitz, American Truckers Association Saltwater Algae Biodiesel World Biodiesel Roundup Biodiesel Blend Standards Biodiesel News Cellulosic Ethanol Plants Under Consideration Cellulosic Ethanol Plants Construction Map Arkansas Switchgrass Study Calendar Platt’s Cellulosic Ethanol Conference Biomass Commodity Exchange Davenport Dryer Removing Crop Residue CBT Wear Parts, Inc. Prater-Sterling Chemineer, Inc. Wear-Concepts, Inc. Ameritrack Railroad Contractors FCStone Lallemand Ethanol Technology Profile: Scott Johson, Gen-X Energy Group, Inc. Derek Masterson, Crown Iron Works Company Profile: Ryan Goodman, Poet Biorefining Thomas Byrne, Byrne & Company Limited Brian Rinehart, Hydro-Klean, Inc. University of Florida Cellulosic Ethanol Ad Index

Biofuels Journal - July/August 2008

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