September 13, 2004 - "Biodiesel: Diester Industrie Selects Axens’ Renewable Energy Technology"
Diester Industrie has selected Axens’ biodiesel technology, Esterfip-H™, for a new plant in Sète, France. This plant will be the first of a kind, employing heterogeneous catalyst technology.
Biodiesel is composed of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) resulting from the esterification of various plant oils such as rapeseed, soybean or sunflower oil. The Esterfip-H process was developed by the French Institute of Petroleum (IFP) and is designed and commercialized by Axens. The Sète plant, which is expected to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2005, represents an important contribution toward attainment of the European Directive concerning biofuels, 2003/30/EC Article 3(1), which targets 5.75% biofuels in the 2010 timeframe.
Esterfip-H represents a major advancement in the area of biofuels, as it ensures the production of biodiesel meeting European specification EN 14214, and at the same time directly produces glycerin of unequalled purity. The utilization of the glycerin by-product is a determining factor in the overall production economics. In addition, this solid catalyst process enables a significant reduction in waste streams compared to other processes. Axens believes that Esterfip-H has significant market potential worldwide due to the considerable reduction in well-to-wheels greenhouse gas emissions for biodiesel. Axens is a market leader in the area of clean fuels technology and intends to expand this leadership role from conventional to renewable and alternative fuels.
The decision by Diester Industrie confirms its pioneering role in the area of biodiesel. Already in 1992, and in partnership with IFP, the company built its first Esterfip unit in Venette (near Compiègne, France). The new unit will have a production capacity of 160 000 tons per year of FAME. Not only are biofuels considered to lower overall green house gas emissions, but at the same time they decrease Europe’s dependence on crude oil imports.
Diester Industrie Diester Industrie, created in 1993, is Europe’s foremost ester producer with an annual production capacity of 350 000 metric tons of Diester (FAME). Owned by Sofiproteol (66.66%) and a group of farm cooperatives (33.34%), Diester Industrie commercializes and distributes Diester (FAME) in France.
