2021 Summer Edition - Biodiesel Magazine

2021 Summer Edition

Reaching for More UCO Demand, Value Rises Page 12

Also Getting Feedstock Renewable Ready Page 20

WWW.BIODIESELMAGAZINE.COM

When You Want to

Stand Out

UNISOL ®

Powerful Liquid Dyes <UP[LK *VSVY 4HU\MHJ[\YPUN 0UJ ( ; & ( / / ( 1 & ( , 1 & 2 / 2 5 7 ( & + 1 2 / 2 * < 7 6 )6? 5,>;6>5 7( <:(

>>> <50;,+*6369 *64

CONTENTS 2021 SUMMER ISSUE VOLUME 18 ISSUE 2

FEATURES

12 Renewable Diesel Backs Into UCO FEEDSTOCK

The low-quality, low-carbon byproduct of restaurant fryer grease is now one of the most coveted advanced biofuel inputs in the world.

BY TOM BRYAN

20 Getting It Renewable Ready PRETREATMENT

As renewable diesel producers look to swallow up big volumes of marginal waste feedstock, they’ll need top-shelf pretreatment technology.

BY TOM BRYAN

SPOTLIGHTS

12

26 SAM CARBIS SOLUTIONS GROUP LLC Keeping the Biodiesel Industry Safer Bulk loading systems from a leading global provider of fall prevention and safety solutions.

29 BDI-BIOENERGY INTERNATIONAL GMBH Building with Balance

Austria’s BDI staying busy with biodiesel plant construction and renewable diesel pretreatment.

DEPARTMENTS 4 Editor’s Note

From the Feedstock Front Lines

BY TOM BRYAN

5 Industry Events 6 Business Briefs 8 Inside NBB 30 Marketplace

20 Advertiser Index

ON THE COVER

Collecting used cooking oil (UCO) from restaurants in Miami, a Green Star Biodiesel technician walks a hose back to one of the company's UCO collection trucks.

PHOTO: GREEN STAR BIODIESEL

29 19 27 33 15 32 6 5 & 31 2 7

BDI-BioEnergy International GmbH Biodiesel Plant Map Carbis Solutions Group, LLC Clariant SE Crown Iron Works Company Desmet Ballestra North America DSM Food Specialities B.V. National Biodiesel Board United Color Manufacturing WWS, Inc. www.BiodieselMagazine.com

3

EDITOR'S NOTE

FROM THE FEEDSTOCK FRONT LINES Tom Bryan

Biodiesel Magazine

In the decade before the current and planned proliferation of renewable diesel, the incumbent industry’s use of waste fats, oils and greases (FOG), along with distillers corn oil (DCO), had been trending steeply upward. Pre-RD, more than half of all U.S. biodiesel production facilities had gained the ability to process FOG inputs and, quite readily, DCO, as a majority of the fleet was multi-feedstock capable well before blueprints for renewable diesel were drawn up in earnest.

For better or worse, however, our industry does not abide by a first come, first serve feedstock policy, especially for inputs traditionally defined as low-cost and low-quality. So, as renewable diesel production opens its seemingly limitless budget to the procurement of FOG—and specifically used cooking oil (UCO)—as well as DCO and other low-carbon intensity (CI) byproducts, vast quantities of it will no doubt be drawn into the orbit of our industry’s new branch, with its mega refineries buying big, paying like clockwork and never sleeping.

The feedstock at the center of renewable diesel’s precipitous rise—not by volume, but CI desirability—is UCO, which makes up just a tenth of the nation’s biomass-based diesel production but 90% of the hype around it. The excitement around UCO, though, is not without merit.

The byproduct of restaurant fryer grease is in ultra-high demand this summer, and its price has jumped dramatically during the past year, not just because of renewable diesel production, but mostly. Our cover story, “Renewable Diesel Backs Into UCO,” on page 12, explains why UCO is one of renewable diesel’s most wanted feedstocks; it also explains where UCO is collected, and how its aggregated, authenticated and sold. The story lends perspective on why UCO collectors and traders, while appreciative of biodiesel, enjoy doing business with the industry’s voracious, deep-pocketed takers.

Despite the intense new demand for UCO and DCO, renewable diesel producers are not exclusively using these inputs for production, of course. Doing so would be desirable from a CI perspective (i.e., attaining optimum California LCFS value per gallon), but it would be impractical logistically for a 500-million-gallon per year plant. Rather, most big renewable diesel facilities are simply supplementing fresh soybean oil with other feedstocks like DCO and UCO—which is quite inconsistent in quality. Meanwhile, the draw of renewable diesel production, and the higher prices its creating for waste oils, is pulling an array of marginal feedstocks into the production pool. Just characterizing poor-quality inputs is challenging enough, never mind preparing the product for a renewable diesel plant’s hydrotreater. In “Getting It Renewable Ready,” on page 20, we talk to a few of the leading pretreatment technology providers about what it takes to identify, prep and purify these tough-to-process feedstocks for renewable diesel.

Finally, be sure to check out our Spotlight stories on Sam Carbis Solutions Group LLC, on page 26, and BDI-BioEnergy International GmbH, on page 29—companies in different lines of work in different places, but both uniquely engaged in the industry’s newest phase of growth.

BiodieselMagazine.com

P U B L I S H I N G

&

S A L E S

Joe Bryan CEO jbryan@bbiinternational.com Tom Bryan President tbryan@bbiinternational.com John Nelson Vice President of Operations/ Marketing & Sales jnelson@bbiinternational.com Chip Shereck Senior Account Manager cshereck@bbiinternational.com Andrea Anderson Business Development Director aanderson@bbiinternational.com Marty Steen Senior Account Manager msteen@bbiinternational.com Bob Brown Account Manager bbrown@bbiinternational.com Jessica Tiller Circulation Manager jtiller@bbiinternational.com Marla DeFoe Marketing & Advertising Manager mdefoe@bbiinternational.com Dayna Bastian Social Media & Marketing Coordinator dbastian@bbiinternational.com A R T Jaci Satterlund Vice President, Production & Design jsatterlund@bbiinternational.com Raquel Boushee Graphic Designer rboushee@bbiinternational.com

Subscriptions Subscriptions to Biodiesel Magazine are free of charge to everyone with the exception of a shipping and handling charge for any country outside the United States.

To subscribe, visit www.biodieselmagazine.com or you can send your mailing address and payment (checks made out to BBI International) to: Biodiesel Magazine Subscriptions, 308 Second Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203. You can also fax a subscription form to 701-746-5367. Reprints and Back Issues Select back issues are available for $3.95 each, plus shipping. Article reprints are also available for a fee. For more information, contact us at 701-746-8385 or service@ bbiinternational.com. Advertising Biodiesel Magazine provides a specific topic delivered to a highly targeted audience. We are committed to editorial excellence and highquality print production. To find out more about Biodiesel Magazine advertising opportunities, please contact us at 701746-8385 or service@bbiinternational.com. Letters to the Editor We welcome letters to the editor. If you write us, please include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and/or space. Send to Biodiesel Magazine Letters, 308 Second Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203 or email tbryan@bbiinternational.com.

Please recycle this magazine and remove inserts or samples before recycling

TM

COPYRIGHT © 2021

by BBI International

4

BIODIESEL MAGAZINE

l

2021 SUMMER EDITION

EVENTS

Biodiesel & Renewable Diesel Summit JULY 13-15, 2021

Des Moines, IA

The Biodiesel & Renewable Diesel Summit is a forum designed for biodiesel and renewable diesel producers to learn about cutting-edge process technologies, new techniques and equipment to optimize existing production, and efficiencies to save money while increasing throughput and fuel quality. Produced by Biodiesel Magazine, this world-class event features premium content from technology providers, equipment vendors, consultants, engineers and producers to advance discussion and foster an environment of collaboration and networking through engaging presentations, fruitful discussion and compelling exhibitions with one purpose, to further the biomass-based diesel sector beyond its current limitations.

(866) 746-8385 | BiodieselSummit.com

%(:%2')( &-3*9)07

Int'l Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo July 13-15, 2021 Des Moines, IA

From its inception, the mission of this event has remained constant: The FEW delivers timely presentations with a strong focus on commercialscale ethanol production—from quality control and yield maximization to regulatory compliance and fiscal management. The FEW is the ethanol industry’s premier forum for unveiling new technologies and research findings. The program is primarily focused on optimizing grain ethanol operations while also covering cellulosic and advanced ethanol technologies.

(866) 746-8385 | FuelEthanolWorkshop.com

Int'l Biomass Conference & Expo March 14-16, 2022

&MSHMIWIP ERH VIRI[EFPI HMIWIP EVI XLI QSWX [MHIP] EZEMPEFPI EHZERGIH FMSJYIPW %W XLIMV YWI KVS[W XLI GEVFSR WEZMRKW EHH YT

Entering its 15th year, the International Biomass Conference & Expo is expected to bring together more than 900 attendees, 125 exhibitors and 100 speakers from more than 40 countries. It is the largest gathering of biomass professionals and academics in the world. The conference provides relevant content and unparalleled networking opportunities in a dynamic business-to-business environment. In addition to abundant networking opportunities, the largest biomass conference in the world is renowned for its outstanding programming—powered by Biomass Magazine—that maintains a strong focus on commercial-scale biomass production, new technology, and near-term research and development.

Join us at the International Biomass Conference & Expo as we enter this new and exciting era in biomass energy.

8LI FIRIƤXW HSRŭX WXST XLIVI &MSHMIWIP GYXW TEVXMGYPEXI QEXXIV IQMWWMSRW [LMGL VIHYGIW LIEPXL GEVI FYVHIRW ERH QIHMGEP GSWXW

Jacksonville, FL

(866) 746-8385 | BiomassConference.com

Please check our website for upcoming webinars www.biodieselmagazine.com/ pages/webinar

&IXXIV'PIERIV2S[ SVK

www.BiodieselMagazine.com

5

BusinessBriefs

People, Products & Partnerships

REG names former BP executive CFO

Greasezilla fats, oils and grease separation systems are now being distributed globally.

PHOTO: DOWNEY RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL CO.

Greasezilla launches global distribution network Greasezilla, a product of the Downey Ridge Environmental Co., has launched an international distribution system for its advanced biofuel feedstock. The company’s fats, oils and grease (FOG) separation systems, operating in several U.S. locations, produce a conversion-ready product for biodiesel and marine engine fuel.

“Our goal is to be the most forwardthinking, environmentally effective technology in FOG separation today,” said Ron Crosier, president, Downey Ridge Environmental. “After years of building and implementing Greasezilla systems for our customers, we are pleased to distribute ABF through an established global network.”

Renewable Energy Group Inc. has hired R. Craig Bealmear as its chief financial officer. Bealmear brings extensive experience from the oil and gas indusBealmear try, having spent more than 28 years in a variety of finance, strategy and commercial leadership roles across the U.S. and U.K. Prior to joining REG, he was CFO of BP’s North America Fuels division.

“We are delighted to have Craig join REG,” said REG president and CEO Cynthia Warner.

“His extensive background in oil and gas and the downstream fuel industry is a natural fit with our business activities and strategy. Craig will come into REG to lead our finance function at a very important time for REG, as we continue to seek to expand our global footprint through a number of significant growth opportunities.”

Enable up to 2% higher oil yield for your vegetable oil production with DSM's Purifine® enzyme solutions Oilseed processors are faced with the continued challenge of improving output whilst reducing costs. Our Purifine® enzymes can make a big difference to oil processors, hiking oil yields and increasing the value of meals, leading to a boost in profit margins. www.dsm.com/food BRIGHT SCIENCE. BRIGHTER LIVING.™ l 2021 SUMMER EDITION BIODIESEL MAGAZINE 6

BUSINESS BRIEFS Marathon to deploy wind power at North Dakota refinery

DeCamp named CEO of Pennycress oil startup CoverCress Inc., a St. Louis-based company working to commercialize a novel cash cover crop, has named Mike DeCamp as its new presiDeCamp dent and CEO. DeCamp takes the helm after serving as the company’s chief operating officer.

CoverCress is focused on turning field pennycress, a native winter annual, into a feasible oilseed crop for Midwest farmers. The seed would allow corn and soybean growers to add a third crop into their rotation over winter and early spring. Cover crops mitigate nutrient loss, reduce soil erosion and increase soil carbon sequestration. DeCamp and his team believe pennycress oil could be an ideal low-carbon intensity feedstock for biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.

PHOTO: STOCK

Marathon Petroleum Corp. has announced that it will soon install several wind turbines at its Dickinson, North Dakota, renewable diesel plant as part of a multifaceted approach to achieve progressively lower carbon intensity (CI) ratings for the fuel it produces there.

The company has signed an agreement with One Energy Enterprises LLC to install five 2.3-megawatt wind turbines at the biorefinery. The turbines are expected to generate more than 40 million kilowatt hours of energy annually, providing approximately 45 percent of the plant’s electricity.

The Dickinson facility was commissioned in late 2020 and is reportedly producing at 90% of its design capacity of 184 MMgy, using both soybean oil and distillers corn oil as feedstock.

WWS-TRADING-ARTWORK-OL.pdf 1 10-03-2019 11:47:15 AM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

www.BiodieselMagazine.com

7

NATIONAL

BOARD

Biodiesel Not Blending In, But Standing Out with Health Benefits

Donnell Rehagen, CEO, National Biodiesel Board

8

Biodiesel is the most sustainable fuel on the planet and is made from a broad range of feedstocks, typically blended with petroleum diesel. However, this time, biodiesel is not blending in. Our readily available solution, B100, is 100% biodiesel. With no mixers required, B100 is standing out now and for decades to come.

A landmark study, conducted by Trinity Consultants, confirmed what our industry has known for years—biodiesel has proven positive impacts on the environment. The study also shows how biodiesel can have a dramatic impact on an issue important to all Americans, especially now—their health.

We have always known that biodiesel offers a better and cleaner alternative to petroleum diesel. This study quantifies the health benefits and shows that by using renewable fuels like biodiesel and renewable diesel, we can bring major health improvements to people's lives.

The research, sponsored by the National Biodiesel Board with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board, South Dakota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, California Advanced Biofuels Alliance, Iowa Soybean Board and the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board, used well established EPA air dispersion modeling tools coupled with health risk assessments and benefit valuations to assess the public health benefits and resulting economic savings of converting from petroleum-based diesel to B100 in 13 communities in the U.S. exposed to high rates of petroleum diesel pollution.

Researchers found that switching to 100% biodiesel in the home heating oil and transportation sectors in just these 13 communities would: • Prevent 340 premature deaths annually.

• Result in 46,000 fewer sick days.

In the transportation sector, benefits included a potential 45% reduction in cancer risk, when heavyduty trucks such as semis use B100, and 203,000 fewer or lessened asthma attacks.

When Bioheat fuel made from 100% biodiesel is used in place of petroleum heating oil, the study found an 86% reduced cancer risk and 17,000 fewer lung problems.

BIODIESEL MAGAZINE

l

2021 SUMMER EDITION

The study also considered the economic cost of premature deaths, asthma cases, reduced activity due to poor health, and work impacted due to sick days. For example, researchers found the communities surrounding the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach would avoid about $1.69 billion in health costs due to improved air quality in the form of reduced premature deaths and health care costs and increased productivity.

As these numbers represent findings from just 13 sites and communities, they are truly the tip of the iceberg. B100 can achieve these benefits by reducing pollution from markets that are hardest to decarbonize: heavy-duty transportation and residential heating.

Saving lives by reducing the health impacts of diesel pollution should be a higher priority, and biodiesel is widely available today to achieve that goal. These immediate and substantial emission reductions and associated health benefits can and should be an important consideration in any local, state, regional or national climate program as our nation moves toward decarbonization and cleaner air. It is critical that policymakers and energy providers consider the benefits they can deliver to these communities today, while states pursue electrification and other decarbonization strategies.

This means these communities, which continue to be disproportionately affected by diesel pollution, don't need to wait five, 10, or in some cases 20 years for an electrified solution to deliver cleaner air. With biodiesel, they can enjoy cleaner, healthier air today.

This breakthrough study proves and quantifies the major benefits a simple transition to biodiesel can have on communities that adopt it. Our industry has the ability to make an immediate and swift impact with B100 on public health. We continue to make meaningful advancements in this industry, and for years to come, we will share that biodiesel is not blending in, but standing out and ready now.

Donnell Rehagen CEO National Biodiesel Board

inside

NBB Waiting for the Signal to Change The Biden administration delivered some positive news to the biofuel industry in February, announcing a change in stance on small refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

EPA agreed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit that exemptions should be limited. And in April, the agency explained its new position in depth to the U.S. Supreme Court as it weighed the issue.

NBB filed its own amicus brief for the Supreme Court proceedings, detailing how small refinery exemptions especially harm the biodiesel industry.

“Biodiesel and renewable diesel producers appreciate EPA’s recognition that exemptions are only temporary mechanisms to transition small refineries into the RFS program,” said Kurt Kovarik, NBB’s vice president of federal affairs. “Continued misuse of small refinery exemptions is a direct threat to the U.S. biodiesel and renewable NBB welcomes diesel industry and the 65,000 U.S. support for jobs and more than $17 billion in domestic annual economic activity it supproduction of ports.” sustainable Then in May, EPA asked the aviation fuel on par with support for 10th Circuit Court to vacate 2018 continued growth and 2019 exemptions granted to of biodiesel and two Sinclair oil refineries, pointing renewable diesel. out that they were inconsistent with that court’s previous ruling. However, EPA still must decide on 66 pending small refinery exemptions and outline how it will account for any potential exempted volumes in future rules.

In other announcements from the administration, the signals for the biodiesel industry were mixed. President Biden’s American Jobs Plan made no mention at all of biofuels.

Rep. Cindy Axne (D-IA) noted the absence in an April letter to House leaders. “Although many portions of the American Jobs Act will provide the support and investments that are much needed for the Iowans I represent, I was disappointed that biofuels was not included in the initial framework laid out by the Biden Administration,” she wrote. Rep. Axne and other biodiesel industry champi-

PHOTO: STOCK

ons, including Sen. Chuck Grassley, are working to include support for the biodiesel industry as Congress begins to write legislation to enact the jobs plan.

Biden administration officials have also indicated strong support for sustainable aviation fuel but in some instances may have their signals crossed. In a May House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development hearing, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm seemed to misstate that support. “We see biofuels playing a big role and we think that those refineries can be producing and should be producing aviation biofuels right now,” she told Congress members. “It is not much to retrofit a biofuel refinery to be able to produce aviation fuel.”

NBB welcomes support for domestic production of sustainable aviation fuel on par with support for continued growth of biodiesel and renewable diesel. NBB continues to educate members of Congress and the Biden administration on biodiesel’s role in supporting economic, climate and clean air priorities.

www.BiodieselMagazine.com

9

insideNBB

Biodiesel Benefits Boom in Targeted Ad Campaign The National Biodiesel Board’s annual advertising campaign kicked off in March with biodiesel and renewable diesel education targeting emerging markets on the many benefits of biodiesel.

Funded by the United Soybean Board, U.S. Canola Association and a dozen Qualified State Soybean Boards, this educational campaign allows NBB to reach audiences unfamiliar with the biodiesel industry, as a major component includes targeted advertising in New York, Washington D.C., and Washington state.

“These ads strive to increase consumer acceptance and industry growth through education and promotion,” NBB Director of Communications Liz McCune said. “Extending our reach nationwide and sharing our story of biodiesel’s many environmental benefits is more critical now than ever.”

So far this year, digital ads have run in The Seattle Times, Politico and on social media such as Twitter and Google/YouTube.

This year, the campaign has adopted a new focus—driving traffic to BetterCleanerNow.com, where the content has been beefed up to improve educational engagement and continued exploration of the environmental benefits of biodiesel. Two video ads running on Twitter in March were watched more than 23,000 times, garnering 2,500 visitors to the BetterCleanerNow.com website.

NBB will continue to focus on improving users’ experience and use of educational content on the website.

The NBB advertising campaign will target key emerging markets throughout the summer and fall, promoting the biodiesel industry and its vision.

Fueling Conversations with NBB on Brownfield This spring, NBB launched farmer-focused radio segments in partnership with Brownfield Ag News. This partnership includes 13 weeks of 3-minute interviews with farmer leaders across the Midwest. These interview segments are playing on 294 radio stations in all Midwest states, highlighting at least one farmer from each region.

“This campaign helps us reach a vital audience to biodiesel and renewable diesel—America’s farmer,” NBB CEO Donnell Rehagen said. “With each interview from a farmer leader utilizing biodiesel

10

BIODIESEL MAGAZINE

l

2021 SUMMER EDITION

themselves, we are moving the needle at the local level, sharing the many benefits our better, cleaner fuel brings to them as production agriculturalists. Our industry needs today’s and tomorrow’s farmers to help us meet our industry vision.”

Interviews from farmer leaders focus on biodiesel and renewable diesel including biodiesel basics, NBB’s mission and vision, carbon neutrality, sustainability, feedstock production and growth, technical advances, availability and much more. Interviews from America’s farmers can be found at nbb.org.

insideNBB

Project Carbon Freedom The biodiesel and renewable diesel industry continues to see growing opportunities as America changes the way it thinks about its energy. The sector is entering a time when the environment and cleaner energy are finally taking their rightful place with consumers and policymakers, and NBB believes biodiesel and renewable diesel, and Bioheat® fuel, will play a huge role in this shift to lower carbon fuel. In the case of a major market opportunity in Bioheat® fuel, the 4+ billion-gallon home heating industry in the Northeast needs a transformation to cleaner fuel and our long-term partnership is now primed to drive significant growth.

NBB has partnered with Global Partners LP, a major fuel supplier in the Northeast, to launch Project Carbon Freedom. This cross-industry initiative by the U.S. liquid energy and agricultural sectors aims to decarbonize five million homes affordably and equitably across the Northeast. This first-of-its-kind project brings together the region’s wholesale and retail fuel community, equipment manufacturers and the agricultural sector to educate and advocate

in support of climate policy action. These efforts are in alignment with the state and regional carbon-reduction goals and support the Providence Resolution the oilheat industry launched with a vision to transition to B100 by 2050.

“NBB has worked with our heating oil partners in the Northeast for years to start the transformation of their industry to bring Bioheat® fuel, the cleanest alternative available, to tens of thousands of homes in the region,” NBB CEO Donnell Rehagen said. “Bioheat® fuel requires zero additional investment by the homeowner and offers a superior, clean, dependable heat. Project Carbon Freedom will ask policy makers across the region to join together to take this transformation to the next level, multiplying the carbon reduction benefits already being realized across the entire region.”

Given the push to reduce carbon, NBB predicts growing momentum for biodiesel and renewable diesel, and Bioheat® now and in the years to come. More information about the initiative can be found at projectcarbonfreedom.com.

Biodiesel Leaders Gather in Person for June Membership Meeting After more than a yearlong quarantine, NBB’s members asked to meet in person this summer for the annual June Membership Meeting to help the industry move from 3 to 6 billion gallons.

Nearly 100 biodiesel advocates from across the country met June 14-15 in St. Louis, Missouri, to discuss integral association business and critical federal and state policy initiatives through engaging, interactive sessions.

“We want to thank each one of our members who joined us back in person and helped us continue the biodiesel and renewable diesel conversation. Like any other meeting, engagement with our membership is vital to the future success of the industry,” said Donnell Rehagen, NBB CEO. “Every conversation gives biodiesel and renewable diesel the opportunity to excel and see the growth we know we are capable of.”

The following week, NBB members met to join virtual Hill

visits. Meeting with elected leaders is one of the key reasons NBB meets with their members each year. NBB organized more than 75 virtual Hill visits for members to meet with their representatives in Congress.

“Nothing beats constituent-to-member conversations when it comes to making connections with policymakers,” said Kurt Kovarik, NBB vice president of federal affairs. “It’s important for members of Congress to hear firsthand about the importance of the biodiesel industry so that we can collectively advance and continue to make biodiesel better, cleaner and available now.”

If you are not currently a member of NBB and would like to attend and participate in future events, contact Brad Shimmens, Director of Operations and Membership, at 573-635-3893 or bshimmens@biodiesel.org to join NBB.

www.BiodieselMagazine.com

11

Renewable Diesel BACKS INTO UCO The low-quality, low-carbon byproduct of restaurant fryer grease, once largely reserved for modestly-sized biodiesel production, is now a darling input of the industry's new mega plants.

BY TOM BRYAN

12

BIODIESEL MAGAZINE

l

2021 SUMMER EDITION

FEEDSTOCK Four years ago, if John Tapp was asked what industry he sourced feedstock for, he would have undoubtedly said biodiesel. After all, his company was—and

still is—a supplier of waste oils and greases to the industry’s 2.5-billion-gallon fleet of legacy plants. But today, some 48 months later, Tapp’s book of business looks distinctly different.

“It’s almost all renewable diesel now,” he says. “I’m not doing much in biodiesel these days. I’m highly focused on renewable diesel and serving those larger buyers—companies like Neste, Diamond Green Diesel and REG. Biodiesel was 100% our core business for years and I am proud of that space and thankful for it.

This transition to RD was not really strategic as much as it has just happened. There are not many biodiesel companies in our primary market looking for large volumes of material.”

Tapp, who’s been working in and around waste oils collection for more than a decade, has a front-row seat to the sweeping changes taking place in the feedstock arena. His company, Deep South Commodities, is a collector and marketer of waste oils in the Southeast, covering a region from Florida to Texas up to Tennessee and the Carolinas. Not only is the Winter Park, Florida-based company hyper focused on its renewable diesel customers right now, but on the more specific task of finding them used cooking oil (UCO), which is in ultra-high demand.

What Tapp is experiencing in the South is not a regional phenomenon. More than a thousand miles to the north, in Buchman, Michigan, Paul Dickerson, president of Third Coast Commodities, is seeing similar market dynamics.

“The top of the bracket for us right now is renewable diesel, then biodiesel, followed by a small amount of animal feed and everything else,” Dickerson says, describing his company as a middle-market physical merchant specializing in fats, oils and greases (FOG) such as UCO, distillers corn oil (DCO), choice white grease, brown grease, fatty acids and other byproduct.

According to Dickerson, Third Coast handles about 125,000 metric tons of FOG per year and has a small fleet of rail cars. The company has four divisions, including Evergreen Grease Service Inc., that services more than 5,000 restaurants in multiple states.

The UCO the company collects is processed and aggregated with other quantities from around the region before it is transported to destinations throughout the country via truck and rail.

Dickerson explains the strategy of aggregation. “If you’re a collection company in Michigan that only produces two truckloads of UCO a week, when someone needs 40 rails cars a day, that’s not going to work. That transaction size doesn’t have much value in the renewable diesel space,” he says. “Companies like ours can aggregate large volumes and make sure it all meets the necessary block-chain regulatory compliance requirements.”

Dickerson sees his company as a taker of food processing byproduct that is “upcycled” back into the market by restaurants RENEWABLE ROUNDS: A Green Star Biodiesel truck carefully backs into a fenced area behind a Miami-area restaurant to collect used cooking oil.

PHOTO: GREEN STAR BIODIESEL

www.BiodieselMagazine.com

13

FEEDSTOCK

'Nothing goes up forever. I think there should definitely be some sort of correction—not a collapse of any kind, but a healthy correction.'

Larry Sharon Green Star Biodiesel

RIGHT ANGLE: A Green Star Biodiesel collection technician sucks used cooking oil out of a grease storage container in an urban alleyway.

PHOTO: GREEN STAR BIODIESEL

and food processing companies that have other business priorities.

“Smithfield is focused on hogs, not choice white grease,” he says. “But that coproduct has to be managed, and that’s what we do.”

Other UCO collectors around the country are experiencing the same intense demand for the product, partially as a result of renewable diesel’s rapid growth and trajectory. Larry Sharon, owner of Miamibased Green Star Biodiesel—which, as Sharon explains, doesn’t produce biodiesel—says he is currently sourcing as much UCO as possible for renewable diesel producers.

“When we started this company eight years ago, we had every intention of producing biodiesel, but we decided to start on the feedstock side instead, collecting used cooking oil,” he says. “It was a blessing that we started off that way, rather than trying to produce first and collect later, because, for us, the production of biodiesel has never looked economically viable.”

Collecting UCO, on the other hand, has been a good business for Green Star. In less than a decade, the company’s reach has grown dramatically, Sharon says, explaining that Green Star is now servicing the entire state of Florida. “Today, we service more than 3,000 restaurants,” he says. “We have 17 trucks, a depot in Orlando, another one opening up in Jacksonville, and plans to enter the Georgia market as well.”

UCO Prices Rise UCO, generally defined as a byproduct of fryer grease from restaurants and commercial food processing facilities, is a liquid product that varies in viscosity and color. Sharon, says the product Green Star collects can range in appearance from a golden caramel hue, which is ideal, to dark brown or almost black, depending on the source and 14

BIODIESEL MAGAZINE

l

2021 SUMMER EDITION

storage conditions. In almost all its forms, UCO is now being collected and cleaned up for both biodiesel and renewable diesel production.

While it is difficult to put an exact number on how much UCO is currently being used for biomass-based diesel production in the U.S., experts believe the feedstock makes up roughly 10-12% of the total pool of raw materials used annually. Yet, even while making up little more than a tenth of the overall feedstock supply, UCO is one of the most coveted biofuel inputs in the country, with demand for the product, along with its price, rising steeply during the past year. Prices for both UCO and other sought after renewable diesel feedstocks like DCO—a byproduct of corn ethanol production—have risen to more than 55 cents a pound recently, or nearly double their usual value.

"We have seen a rather substantial run up in pricing, but I think we may see prices start to fall back as we get to later in Q3 and early in Q4. Bean oil prices combined with demand have really pushed prices across the board,” Tapp says, explaining how UCO traded in the Gulf in April and May in the high $.50s per pound delivered, and as high as the mid-$.50s a pound delivered into Georgia. “Historically those are pretty high values and could be on the verge of representing inflection points. I do see the possibility of coming off these prices later in the year.”

Sharon agrees that UCO prices should eventually drop. “Nothing goes up forever,” he says. “I think there should definitely be some sort of correction—not a collapse of any kind, but a healthy correction.”

That said, Sharon and others do not envision UCO prices returning to pre-2020 levels. “I think the numbers we saw a year-and-half ago are probably long gone,” he says, predicting that a new floor for UCO might be in the range of 35 to 37 cents per pound. “Our projections for 2021, and going into 2022, are based on those numbers as a floor.”

Meanwhile, with UCO prices bouncing around record highs, the collectors of the product are working long hours to keep up with surging demand while doing their absolute level best to make sure the products they aggregate are precisely what they’re supposed to be.

Transparency, Vigilance Whereas the biodiesel industry, for years, struggled with RIN fraud—which has been significantly reduced through the EPA’s Quality Assurance Plan (i.e., Q-RINs)—today’s renewable diesel industry is perhaps a new target for feedstock deception and unintentional identification errors.

Dickerson explains that fraudulent—or, in some cases, “less-

Give your hydrotreater catalyst more life.

DOUBLE IT.

Crown delivers maximum contaminant removal to extend hydrotreater catalyst life.

Get the cleanest possible feedstock delivered to your hydrotreater and achieve up to double catalyst life with Crown. Our rugged, robust RD Ready ™ Pretreatment System is guaranteed to meet product specs for all common contaminants and drastically improve plant uptime by reducing the need for catalyst changeovers. Backed by the construction of 50+ biodiesel plants, design of 10+ renewable diesel pretreatment plants, and a propriety database of feedstock specs and results, Crown’s RD Ready™ Pretreatment System protects your investment now, and in the future.

Protect your hydrotreater and your Renewable Diesel operation with Crown.

Edible Oils | Biodiesel | Renewable Diesel | Oleochemical Contact Crown today 1-651-639-8900 or visit our website at www.crowniron.com

www.BiodieselMagazine.com

15

FEEDSTOCK

UCO LIFT: This specialty truck owned by Evergreen Grease Service, a subsidiary of Michigan-based Third Coast Commodities, is capable of picking up and dumping entire containers of used cooking oil into the vehicle’s onboard reservoir.

PHOTO: THIRD COAST COMMODITIES

than-100% accurate”—feedstock labeling does occur with UCO and other low-CI feedstocks. “People have even been caught reselling B99 as used cooking oil,” he says, explaining that Third Coast encourages its biodiesel and renewable diesel customers to utilize the company’s on-demand lab to intermittently random sample/blind test its UCO and compare it to third-party lab results. “We really encourage this just to keep the whole supply chain honest and make sure a high level of integrity is being maintained. ‘Absolutely, check often,’ we say, but not everyone does.”

Dickerson says Third Coast even helps its affiliated grease collection companies attain International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), which assures that food companies producing UCO above a certain threshold provide purchase records to prove that the amount of UCO collected from their facility corresponds with the inbound fresh vegetable oil they purchased and used. “That level of supply chain management is already here, and it would benefit from even wider participation,” Dickerson says. “Unfortunately, there are still some bad actors out there. Yes, people get caught, but probably not enough.”

Green Star is one of only a few companies in the South that has extensive experience exporting ISCC product. “Prior to the market flip, when we were exporting almost all of our product, everything was being exported as ISCC product,” Sharon says, explaining how the program involves annual audits by an ISCC representative—typically conducted in person but carried out virtually during the pandemic. “It’s very thorough. They go over your account list. They look at your collection records. They look at your facility and any changes 16

BIODIESEL MAGAZINE

l

2021 SUMMER EDITION

'A renewable diesel producer shipping product into California is going to want to use as much UCO as possible because that’s going to land them the highest value.'

John Tapp Deep South Commodities

that you’ve made. They also look at all your ISCC shipments for the previous year, and cross reference that to make sure you haven’t sold more product than what you claimed was ISCC. It’s very stringent.”

After a half decade in the ISCC program, Sharon says, Green Star still appreciates its benefits, especially when it comes to doing business with the world’s largest producers. “Neste, REG—anyone with any substantial presence in the EU almost exclusively buys only ISCC-certified product,” he says.

Closer to home, it’s not UCO fraud, but straight up theft that is an everyday concern for UCO suppliers and collectors. With UCO prices still north of 45 cents a pound, theft is quite common, Dickerson says, explaining that it’s not difficult for thieves to find willing buyers to accept stolen UCO. “Unfortunately, there are people out there that don’t care where they’re buying product, or who they’re buying it from,” he says. “If they can make a buck doing it, they will.”

Dickerson says stealing UCO from restaurants, while brazen, is not complicated. “All it really takes is a fuel pump and a water-tight

'Let’s all remember that biodiesel has been very consistent and good to our business. And anyone in the byproducts space should thank their lucky stars for biodiesel because it has certainly added value to their bottom line for years.'

Paul Dickerson Third Coast Commodities SECURE SUPPLY: With UCO prices at record highs, the occurrence of theft is rising. Keeping the waste product behind locked gates and under surveillance can help deter used cooking oil crooks.

PHOTO: THIRD COAST COMMODITIES

container,” he says, explaining that the criminal phenomenon is on par with the theft of copper pipe from buildings or catalytic converters from cars, but easier to get away with and harder to stop. “At least when a car is missing a major piece of equipment, you notice, but when used cooking oil is missing from behind a restaurant, who notices—and when? It could be 60 or 90 days later before anyone realizes it’s gone.”

Sharon is also seeing plenty of UCO theft. He estimates there may be 90,000 to 100,000 gallons of UCO stolen weekly from source companies in Florida alone. He says there are precautions that can be taken to deter theft—storing the product in rugged steel containers, locking gates, installing surveillance—but nothing seems to stop it completely. “There is only so much you can do,” he says.

Supply Outlook As more U.S. renewable diesel plants are commissioned, Sharon predicts, the UCO market will inevitably be challenged to keep up with demand. “Product will be tight for a while, especially when you consider that a lot of product was being exported from the U.S. to Europe just last year,” he says, explaining how, prior to late 2020, Green Star was exporting most of the UCO it collected, and is now selling 95% of its product domestically. “So, we’ve already redirected that export volume.”

Dickerson agrees that meeting the rising demand for UCO will be challenging, but he says consumer trends bode well for the feedstock’s long-term availability. “The U.S. is a growth economy, so as our population grows and our service side grows with it, you’re going to see restaurant growth, too,” he says. “I don’t think companies like Darden (parent company of restaurants such as Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse) or McDonalds are predicting ‘less than’ sales.

I think they’re predicting ‘greater than’ sales, so there should be more byproduct coming out of that sector.”

It has been widely predicted that the U.S. population is trending toward a healthier diet comprised of less fired foods, which would in theory produce less restaurant waste oil. But Dickerson says such predictions are simply not materializing. “We can all envision people

eating less fried food in the future, but as of right now it’s not happening,” he says. “We’re still seeing plenty of fried, fatty food in the United States and we don’t think that’s going to change in the near term. Used cooking oil isn’t going away.”

UCO Drivers It would be unusual, if not impossible, for any large U.S. renewable diesel producer to feed its hydrotreater with 100% UCO— rather, the feedstock is commonly a supplement to higher-volume inputs like soybean oil—but UCO is nonetheless coveted by refiners because it gives their renewable diesel a lower carbon-intensity (CI) kick under California’s Low-Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). “With the finished-product going into California, or other low-carbon markets, those lower-cost, lower-quality feedstocks provide a higher value at the end because they have a low CI,” Tapp explains. “A renewable diesel producer shipping product into California is going to want to use as much UCO as possible because that’s going to land them the highest value.”

Ultimately, though, it is not the only the alure of LCFS credits, but a layering of that incentive on top of RIN values and the $1-pergallon biodiesel tax credit that makes renewable diesel production attractive. In fact, the appealing economics of renewable diesel, combined with the fact that the fuel is virtually indistinguishable from petroleum diesel, has left some industry observers questioning the long-term competitiveness of its conventional cousin, biodiesel.

While Sharon says he is indifferent to where Green Star’s UCO is ultimately directed, he’s sold on the viability of renewable diesel, given the characteristics of the fuel, the incentives to produce it and the companies investing in the play.

“I definitely think renewable diesel is the future,” he says. “The economics make sense because of the scale, and the fact that these refining operations are typically joint ventures between a feedstock collector, or processor, and a large oil concern.”

Sharon continues, “If you ask me, ‘Will renewable diesel continue to grow and continue to be the primary, or only, market for www.BiodieselMagazine.com

17

FEEDSTOCK

FEEDSTOCK FLEET: As the U.S. economy continues to bounce back from the pandemic, trucking and logistics companies like Evergreen Grease Service Inc. are experiencing unprecedented demand for their services and vehicles. UCO collection operations, however, have been mostly unaffected by the transport pinch.

PHOTO: THIRD COAST COMMODITIES

this type of feedstock?’ I would have to say yes. But that will depend on federal and state mandates and credits—the California LCFS, and with Oregon and Washington following suite—and if we start to see those things happening in more states, renewable diesel will take off like nothing else.”

Tapp agrees that the scale and momentum of renewable diesel production works well for aggregators and suppliers of the feedstock.

“There’s a lot less biodiesel in my world than in the past, even just in terms of who’s interested in transacting volume,” he says. “I’m much more interested in a larger renewable diesel facility that’s open 24/7 with much better terms and not as much credit risk. A lot of different factors go into the final transaction, but I am very excited about renewable diesel, which has been my primary book of business for the past few years and will probably continue to be that way.”

Tapp continues, “I’m not advocating for things either way, but when two different types of customers want the same product and one is very large, pays timely and fast, and wants as much product as you can get, you’re going to gravitate toward that opportunity.”

While echoing likeminded praise for renewable diesel, Dickerson diverges to compliment the biofuel that came before it. “Let’s all remember that biodiesel has been very consistent and good to our business,” he says. “And anyone in the byproducts space should thank their lucky stars for biodiesel because it has certainly added value to their bottom line for years. Biodiesel has done great things for this country, but the truth is, it may end up being a bridge fuel to this new technology called renewable diesel. And eventually, renewable diesel itself might fall to coprocessing.”

BIODIESEL MAGAZINE 2021 SUMMER EDITION 18 l

Dickerson says he believes the characteristics of renewable diesel—a “look-alike” molecule to diesel with no blending or seasonality restrictions—give it an edge in the marketplace. “It can be used 100% of time at 100%, if you want,” he says. “So, if you are a fuel supplier, do you want a product that comes with limited access to the market?

Or do want a product that looks just like diesel, meets all your regulatory needs and, oh, by the way, generates more RINs and extra credits in California?”

The bottom line, Dickerson says, is that the massive renewable diesel producers bringing production online in the U.S., and globally, want to procure whatever UCO they can, and suppliers like Third Coast are more than happy to help them do it. “I think everyone understands there is a big difference between a 5-million-gallon biodiesel plant looking for UCO and a 500-million-gallon renewable diesel refinery looking for UCO,” he says.

Tapp concurs, explaining that a single renewable diesel facility like Diamond Green Diesel’s plant under expansion in Norco, Louisiana, for example, will produce 675 MMgy—requiring 7.5 pounds of feedstock per gallon. And that same scale of production is being repeated at dozens of sites globally. "Neste has export tanks in Houston, Savannah, New Jersey and the Midwest, and they have the capability to take hundreds of truckloads a month at each of those locations and send it by vessel to Singapore to make renewable diesel,” he says. “I think that tells the story.”

Tapp says the unprecedented change happening in the biofuel feedstock space will inevitably result in consolidation. "We've seen renewable diesel producers acquire larger collectors,” Tapp says. “In

my opinion, there is going to be continued interest form producers about acquiring, merging or getting into exclusive off takes with collectors to have more integrated supply chains.”

Biodiesel plants themselves may also be acquired by large renewable diesel producers, or perhaps form joint ventures with them.

Darling Ingredients, for example, formed a high-profile joint venture with a subsidiary of Valero to form Diamond Green Diesel not long ago, retooling its biodiesel operations to supply feedstock to the joint venture’s renewable diesel projects. Likewise, last year, Marathon Petroleum Corp. purchased the 50 MMgy Duonix biodiesel plant in Beatrice, Nebraska, with the intention of using the facility to aggregate and pretreat feedstock for renewable diesel production in Dickinson, North Dakota.

That and other big picture questions about feedstock supply, control and consolidation, however, are taking a back seat to more immediate concerns about UCO logistics amid nearly exhausted over-the-road transport resources.

Tight on Trucks With the U.S. economy kicking into full swing this summer as the restrictions of the pandemic ease, feedstock suppliers like Tapp and Dickerson are seeing extraordinary demand for over-the-road trucks, including their own. “Trucks are really covered up right now,” Tapp says. “The logistics part of this business is very challenging at the moment. When the economy comes to a grinding halt like it did and then picks back up overnight, everyone is going to have a hard time getting it all done—whether it’s staffing a restaurant or hotel or, for us, getting trucks to cover this increased demand.”

Being a Florida-based company, Tapp says, Deep South Commodities was able to stay busy throughout the pandemic because the

ϮϬϮϮ

state, and much of the surrounding region, largely remained open for business during the pandemic. "Our volumes may be off a little bit, but we decided to take this period to aggressively grow and focus on the longer-term outlook,” he says. “We have added staff and assets, and we are fortunate to be busy."

Sharon says Green Star has not yet experienced a trucking pinch in and around Miami. “We’re 15 minutes away from Port of Miami, 20 minutes away from Port Everglades, and 20 minutes away from Transflo—a rail terminal in Ft. Lauderdale,” he says. “If and when we sell export, we take our product to one of the ocean ports, and when we sell domestic, we take product to the rail terminal here in Ft. Lauderdale. Our logistics in either direction take 20 minutes, and we have tankers of our own that allow us to transport the product ourselves.”

Dickerson says Third Coast Commodities, with its trucking subsidiary Evergreen, is managing incredibly high demand for its trucks while commerce more fully opens up nationwide. “It’s unprecedented,” he says. “Our trucks have been sold out and, at times, it’s been tough to find the capacity to even help ourselves because we’re so busy helping other people get this economy going. It’s a huge challenge, but we’re happy to help everyone keep things moving.”

Author: Tom Bryan Biodiesel Magazine tbryan@bbiinternational.com 701-746-8385

PURCHASE A SPOT ON THE BIODIESEL PLANT MAPS Receive 12Months FREE Online Advertising!

REACH 8,000 PROFESSIONALS

Reach New Customers Need more info on advertising opportunities? service@bbiinternational.com - 866-746-8385 - BiodieselMagazine.com

All Biodiesel Magazine subscribers All Industrial-scale Biodiesel Facilities All major biodiesel related events Distributed to all National Biodiesel Conference attendees

Book Your Ad

AD SPOTS LIMITED AD DEADLINE: OCT. 20TH, 2021

www.BiodieselMagazine.com

19

PRETREATMENT

PRODUCTION PRECURSORS: Biodiesel and renewable diesel have different feedstock pretreatment requirements, but decades of production experience with the fuel that came first are proving critical.

PHOTO: BDI-BIOENERGY INTERNATIONAL GMBH

Renewable Ready GETTING IT

As renewable diesel producers source an array of low-quality, low-carbon inputs, they’re tapping biodiesel’s seasoned pretreatment technology providers for customized feedstock preparation solutions.

BY TOM BRYAN

20

BIODIESEL MAGAZINE



2021 SUMMER EDITION

As renewable diesel production ramps up globally, myriad questions about the availability and price of the feedstock required to sustain billions of new and proposed gallons of biomass-based diesel are under intense scrutiny.

From used cooking oil (UCO) and distillers corn oil (DCO) to tallow and choice white grease, these low-CI—and traditionally low-cost—byproducts of cooking, food processing and corn ethanol production are not only in ultra-high demand this summer, but on the threshold of a realignment of value and control.

Meanwhile, working behind the scenes to make these inputs feasible for renewable diesel, technology firms with decades of biodiesel pretreatment experience are applying the full weight of their feedstock and process knowledge to the creation of systems that clean up both waste and virgin oils for processing. In North America, Europe, Asia and elsewhere, companies like Desmet Ballestra, Crown Iron Works, and BDI-BioEnergy International are being tapped to design and build custom pretreatment platforms to the onerous specifications of hydrotreatment. These specialized inputcleansing regimens are new iterations of the technology and purification steps used for years in biodiesel production, but now enhanced to reduce additional key contaminants.

Theo Friedrich, technical sales manager for BDI, which has been engineering biodiesel plants for a quarter century, says it is helpful to recognize what is similar about renewable diesel and biodiesel pretreatment before pointing out what isn’t. “The basic treatment for each application is the same,” he says, explaining that both biodiesel and renewable diesel applications remove obvious impurities like polyethylene particles, for example, which can otherwise block filters, pipes and heat exchangers.

Bill Morphew, global commercial director of Crown Iron Works’ liquids segment, agrees that renewable diesel pretreatment has synergies with biodiesel pretreatment, and has been a natural layering of industry knowledge onto a growing segment of production. “While there is still considerable interest and volume in biodiesel, the building activity has leveled off while interest in renewable diesel has skyrocketed,” he says, adding that Crown now has a dedicated team focused primarily on renewable diesel at its Minnesota-based headquarters.

Desmet Ballestra, too, has structured its renewable diesel pretreatment system around its decades-long biodiesel experience. The Germany-based company, which has an active North American division, has designed and built over 125 biodiesel plants globally. “Biodiesel essentially started with virgin oils, and as the industry matured, producers had to take more of the lower-quality feedstocks,” says Blake Hen-

drix, president and CEO of Desmet Ballestra North America.

“In essence, our pretreatment technology developed from meeting those production challenges.”

More than a decade ago, Hendrix says, Desmet Ballestra recognized that interest was picking up in hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), or renewable diesel made from principally virgin oils. “It was consistent with the work we were already doing,” he says. “We engaged early, and there is probably only one company in the world that has a larger volume of installed renewable diesel pretreatment technology than us today—and that’s Neste, which handles its own pretreatment.”

Notably, Desmet Ballestra has installed renewable diesel pretreatment systems for high-profile refiners such as Diamond Green Diesel—currently expanding to 675 MMgy— in Norco, Louisiana, and Eni, an Italian petroleum company with an existing renewable diesel plant in Venice and another starting up soon in Gela, Sicily. All three plants utilize the Ecofining process co-developed by Honewell UOP and Eni. “Our renewable diesel work continues to grow globally,” Hendrix says. “Our business is growing in North America and in Europe where feedstocks like partially refined fats are sometimes slipstreamed into petroleum refining and a number of stand-alone pretreatments are being built. We’re also seeing increased activity in Asia as petroleum companies there install hydrotreaters—some taking in pretreated palm oil and others taking used grease. It’s all dependent on what’s available in the market.”

Hendrix says the practice of collecting feedstocks like UCO and rendered animal fats in North America is robust in comparison to Asia, where a larger percentage of used oils and greases are consumed in the cooking process. “You don’t have a lot of excess grease to collect in those areas of the world,” he says. “I think you’ll see the industry collecting different feedstocks in Asia for renewable diesel production than what’s being sought after in North American or Europe.”

Pretreatment Parallels While there are numerous similarities between biodiesel and renewable diesel feedstock pretreatments, Patrick Harrington, global technical sales manager for Crown’s liquids segment, says renewable diesel feedstocks are held to more stringent specifications than biodiesel inputs. “There are additional contaminants we have to deal with for renewable diesel that we simply didn’t have to consider with biodiesel,” he explains. “Not only are we addressing very low phosphorous specs, but also total metals, chlorides, nitrogen, sulfur and more.”

Friedrich concurs, explaining that in biodiesel production, various impurities can be left in the feedstock and removed later through distillation of the final product as long www.BiodieselMagazine.com

21

PRETREATMENT

'With producers of these fats, oils and greases recognizing that products previously considered wastes are now worth considerably more, the result is an acceleration of previously uncharacterized feedstock finding its way into the market.'

Bill Morphew, Crown Iron Works FILTERING FEEDSTOCK: Fully automated vertical pressure leaf filters are utilized in bleaching and other filtration processes within renewable diesel pretreatment.

PHOTO: CROWN IRON WORKS

as a suitable technology for the biodiesel is being used. “That doesn’t work for renewable diesel,” he says. “The hydrogenation catalysts are sensitive to several impurities, which have to be reduced to low-ppm levels to avoid catalyst poising and, in addition, other impurities like nitrogen can result in unwanted byproducts.”

One of the key differences between renewable diesel and biodiesel feedstock pretreatment is that renewable diesel hydrotreaters can take 20% free fatty acids (FFAs), and sometimes quite more depending on the hydrotreater technology, whereas traditional biodiesel transesterification processes must be fed low-FFA inputs.

“With renewable diesel, you want to leave the FFAs in, while you need it removed for most biodiesel processes, at least those in the transesterification category,” Hendrix says, explaining that there are ways to make biodiesel from feedstocks with the FFAs left in. “It’s a more sophisticated and aggressive approach—acid esterification or enzymatic routes—but the vast majority of biodiesel production is transesterification that requires the FFAs to be pulled out. With renewable diesel, on the other hand, you can leave it in.”

Beyond foregoing the removal of FFAs, renewable diesel feedstock pretreatment is generally more rigorous than biodiesel pretreatment in almost all categories. “Biodiesel is very forgiving on phosphorous and earth metals—calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and iron,” Hendrix says. “Renewable diesel is much more sensitive to those metal contaminants in the process. They need to be very low.”

Hendrix explains that total metals need to be in the 5-10 ppm range for renewable diesel, and phosphorous needs to be 1-3 ppm in order to maintain the life of process catalysts. “Phosphorus is a real catalytic poison in the renewable diesel process, as are the other earth metals,” he says.

Removing metals from low-quality feedstocks can be challenging. “Metals can be removed from virgin vegetable oils rather easily, 22

BIODIESEL MAGAZINE

l

2021 SUMMER EDITION

but lower- and mid-grade inputs like DCO, rendered fats, roadkill, you name it, the metals content in these products is, at times, an unpredictable chemical soup,” Hendrix says. “You have to be able to adjust your processes to handle these feedstocks, and that’s what all of us in the pretreatment business are competing to do best.”

Notably, Hendrix explains that sulfur, which needs to be distilled out of methyl esters for biodiesel production, is less of a concern with renewable diesel because it can be removed during the refining process downstream.

Friedrich notes that renewable diesel production is much less flexible than biodiesel when it comes to designing the process around specific feedstock characteristics. “With biodiesel, we develop and build the complete process at BDI, designing it to handle poor quality of feedstock,” he says. “For renewable diesel, on the other hand, we focus only on the pretreatment and therefore the requirements of the downstream hydrotreater dictate the pretreatment limits.”

Define, then Design Even though hydrotreaters cannot generally be designed around feedstock traits, Friedrich says, understanding the products entering renewable diesel pretreatment remains vital. “The correct analysis, and especially the interpretation of the results, is very important,” he says. “The chloride content in a feedstock, for example, can include chloride salts and organic chloride, and you have to differentiate between them.”

The same applies for phosphorous. Friedrich explains that in vegetable oils the main phosphorus content comes from phospholipids, which are removed in a degumming step. He says waste oils, too, often have a high phosphorous content, which can be present in different forms. “In the case of tallow for example a share of the phosphorous can come from bone meal particles,” Friedrich says.

Furthermore, Friedrich explains, refineries and hydrotretaer de-

low,” he says. “It strongly depends on the source of origin, and the handling. Tallow can have different properties in the summer due to higher temperatures in the upfront handling and storage of the slaughter waste. So, all these aspects have to be taken into account when discussing crude feedstock parameters, and afterwards to design the process.”

Harrington says most suppliers of waste fats, oils and greases are not yet accustomed to the sophisticated product analysis requirements of the renewable diesel industry. “Even a well-developed feedstock market like tallow is not typically going to give you the level of detail you need,” he says. “Certainly prior to this renewable diesel boom, they were only going to give you a spec that included FFA and color—and maybe moisture. But we now need to understand a half dozen other parameters that aren’t included.”

PROCESS KNOWHOW: Decades of biodiesel production technology and To fill this product characterization void, Harrington says, construction experience has prepared companies like BDI-BioEnergy Crown often requests product samples from suppliers and sends International for the industry's latest growth phase. them to outside analytical labs for more complete depictions of the PHOTO: BDI-BIOENERGY INTERNATIONAL GMBH material. The rise of renewable diesel has, in fact, created a noticeable velopers are accustomed to the ideal conditions of vegetable oils. uptick in feedstock analysis—performed both in-house and by third“They also want to process bad quality waste feedstock, but it takes party labs. The analysis of unique and variable feedstocks is typically some time for them to realize that a pre-treated fatberg (i.e., sewer cross-referenced and catalogued with previously characterized prodgrease sludge) has more impurities than pre-treated rapeseed oil,” he uct (i.e., well-known feedstocks). Crown, for example, maintains a says. proprietary database of specifications for biodiesel, renewable diesel Some of the feedstocks going into renewable diesel production, and oleochemical feedstocks that reaches back 70-plus years. “Our today, are “poorly defined, if defined at all,” Morphew adds. “And as proprietary database of specs is decades old—starting with clean virthe value of these feedstocks has increased, suddenly you have a value gin oils and extending into these used oils, tallows and other feedoutput. With producers of these fats, oils and greases recognizing stocks that are desirable for renewable diesel,” says Kris Knudson, that products previously considered wastes are now worth considervice president of global sales and marketing at Crown. “We are conably more, the result is an acceleration of previously uncharacterized tinuously adding to that bank of feedstock knowledge.” feedstock finding its way into the market.”

Leaning heavily on its in-house capabilities— For that and other reasons, Morphew says, 'They’re fungible with a deep-benched lab in Brussels, Belgium— it is crucial to characterize and understand the Ballestra has developed unique pretreatand being sold to Desmet novel, low-quality feedstocks making their way ments for a spectrum of different feedstocks, from into renewable diesel before they are put into use. somebody. Who’s soy and rapeseed oils to the lower-quality waste “We sometimes hear from processors who have buying them, inputs sought after by producers chasing low-CI. made a set of assumptions about feedstocks only and what’s being “We have a long history of technical into see a different level of quality arrive at the gate,” novation,” Hendrix says. “We have Ph.D. food done with them? he says. “That has to be addressed, so they turn scientists and Ph.D. chemists on our laboratory That’s all being to us for analysis, possible pretreatment steps, or team, working across all spectrums of feedstocks unit ops, to take care of any number of issues they redefined.' in house. And we’re adding capabilities to our lab might face—solids content, moisture, or a unique Blake Hendrix, now that will allow us to look at some things we Desmet Ballestra contaminant.” couldn’t analyze before—nitrogen and sulfur, in Feedstocks of the same name can and do particular—which both need to be removed in vary. Experts say UCO, for example, may have a considerably difrenewable diesel production.” ferent quality depending on where—region, industry, storage conditions—it is sourced. “Imported UCO, for instance, may give Feedstock Realignment you a different set of parameters than domestic UCO,” Morhpew While there are good quality fats, oils and greases still availsays, “But other types of feedstock, too—even those that are well able in the market, waste feedstocks, collectively, are becoming prounderstood like soybean oil—can present varying levels of quality, gressively lower in quality as global demand rises, pulling marginal depending on their origin.” product into the supply pool. “We’ve seen that the feedstock qualFriedrich agrees. “UCO is not UCO, and tallow is not talwww.BiodieselMagazine.com

23

PRETREATMENT

THREE-PHASE SEPARATION: When pretreating low-quality feedstock, conventional centrifuges sometimes don't suffice. BDI employs Flottweg Tricanters for pre-purification.

PHOTO: BDI-BIOENERGY INTERNATIONAL GMBH

ity has changed over the time, due to an increase in the demand for waste feedstock,” Friedrich says. “Take UCO as an example. It started small with local collection and local biodiesel production, but with the increasing demand for UCO, nowadays, it is a globally traded feedstock. The source of the fresh cooking oil is different— conditions differ—and also the collection and storage is handled differently globally. This all results in different qualities, and therefore pretreatment is much more important.”

Intense new demand for waste feedstocks are creating what Hendrix believes may be a global realignment of the market. “Today, all these feedstocks have a home,” he says. “They’re fungible and being sold to somebody. Who’s buying them, and what’s being done with them? That’s all being redefined.”

The market adjustment Hendrix and others are witnessing is primarily the result of petroleum companies having the scale and financial means to pull large volumes of available low-quality feedstocks away from their historic uses and values. “Those previously using these feedstocks for feed, for example, might have to return to traditional inputs—virgin oils—and that’s why we’re seeing increased crush,” Hendrix says. “It’s not only the result of renewable diesel, directly, but the secondary demand created by the fats renewable diesel is pulling away from feed.”

Hendrix explains that, as this realignment plays out, animal nutritionists will figure out how to source the necessary amounts of 24

BIODIESEL MAGAZINE

l

2021 SUMMER EDITION

triglycerides required for various rations. “Not only are you going to see waste fats being replaced with vegetable oil—the main option—but possibly a return to full-press (i.e., full-fat) soybean plants that leave the oil in the feed. If you need a certain amount of oil in the meal anyway, it’s conceivable that we might see those types of full-press plants built, without solvent extraction.”

Hendrix adds, “Renewable diesel isn’t going away. People don’t build these renewable diesel plants without a long-range view. When you do this in the fuel industry, you’re realigning entire petroleum refineries. And once you change these facilities, they don’t change back quickly.”

Robust, Flexible Design The long-term repositioning of refinery configurations also means renewable diesel producers are seeking pretreatment systems that are not only efficient and flexible, but durable.

“Each setup is built to be robust enough to handle feedstocks that, to be sure, are going to vary—they just will,” Knudson says.

“Feedstocks change. There is going to be variation, and your pretreatment needs be able to handle it.”

Knudson says Crown identifies and evaluates the trade-offs with key design factors to set its customers up for success. “These impact factors are multifaceted and include key design criteria, where small increases lead to the most operational benefits, how set-up impacts

maintenance programs, and numerous tricks of the trade learned throughout the years,” he says. “Time spent upfront designing a flexible and robust system can pay dividends for decades.”

Friedrich agrees that renewable diesel pretreatment systems must be built with a high level of robustness and flexibility. “These systems have to be able to accept a wide variety of feedstocks—sometimes heavily impure—without causing a production stoppage up front.”

FFA back into triglycerides. “Choosing the right option is crucial to achieving an economically-efficient operation,” he says.

Hydrotreater Ready Renewable diesel feedstock pretreatment doesn’t have to happen at the site of a renewable diesel refinery. “We’ve seen all of the above,” Morphew says. “Certainly, there is a desire to have some control over the pretreatment by the renewable diesel producers themselves, and there is also an interest by the fats and oils producers to evaluate Step by Step the market and try to provide a pretreated, renewable diesel-ready The entire renewable diesel feedstock pretreatment process is product.” not easily explained in brief. However, almost all prescribe to some Recognizing this, Crown recently branded and trademarked standard processing steps, from degumming to final polishing before its RD Ready™ Pretreatment System. Knudson says the name has the product enters the hydrotreater. a couple of facets: “First, it reflects how Crown’s robust system can According to Morphew, the first consideraccept a wide variety of feedstocks to produce a ation of renewable diesel feedstock pretreatment product that is ready to feed a renew'By delivering the pretreated is receiving, or the method and management of able diesel/HVO system,” he says. “Second, new taking in and storing raw material. “You want to cleanest possible or existing facilities that won’t have their own feedstock to be careful not to let your solids content get too hydrotreater can adapt to supply pretreated feedhigh in a storage tank, for instance,” he says, exstock that meets the stringent specifications of the a customer’s plaining that the typical stages of pretreatment inhydrotreater, our RD market.” clude solids removal and degumming, to remove design can extend In late April, Seaboard Energy, a division of phospholipids, followed by a water wash and, Seaboard Foods, announced that it is building an catalyst life two- 85 MMgy renewable diesel plant in Hugoton, finally, a bleaching, clay adsorption system that polishes out the final metals. But it all starts with fold. We guarantee Kansas—at the site of the former Abengoa ethaproduct quality.' nol plant—that will utilize Crown’s RD Ready™ analysis.

Friedrich insists that a thorough analysis of pretreatment system. Seaboard has already reKris Knudson, Crown Iron Works incoming crude feedstock is the first and most commissioned portions of the idled assets while important step of pretreatment. “The analysis deits EPC contractor, Fagen Inc., simultaneously termines the efficient operation of the process, as the level of impuri- builds the greenfield renewable diesel plant, scheduled for startup ties defines the amount of required chemicals and adsorbents used by the end of the year. The facility will utilize local animal fats and in the process,” he says. “As the limits for several impurities are very vegetable oils as feedstock. strict, it’s important to know the details, especially regarding the op“We envision our RD Ready™ technology being a fixture in the timum operation without operating costs getting too high due to feedstock market in the coming years,” Knudson says. “By delivering over dosage of chemicals.” the cleanest possible feedstock to a customer’s hydrotreater, our deWith fresh vegetable oils, the first step of pretreatment is de- sign can extend catalyst life two-fold. We guarantee product quality.” gumming via centrifugation, but conventional centrifuges don’t Hendrix agrees that a growing volume of feedstock might be work well for processing waste oils. “At BDI, we use a [Flottweg] pretreated in advance of production or off site, so long as the right Tricanter-based pre-purification unit to secure a reliable and efficient quality assurances are in place. “I think you will see more of that operation,” Friedich says. “And we are still flexible to process a broad sort of thing, but it depends on the philosophy of each petroleum range of feedstock.” company and whether they’re going to partner with somebody on For BDI, a drying unit and an advanced adsorption follow the producing a readymade feedstock for production,” he says. “In my pre-purification steps. In the adsorption, metals and other impuri- experience, most refiners want to closely manage and control their ties are removed. Friedrich says the key to effective adsorption is to feedstock through pretreatment. But I think all sorts of different sceselect the right adsorbent, as there are dozens of different materials narios could play out as more production comes online.” available on the market.

Author: Tom Bryan A polyethylene reduction unit is an additional upgrade for preBiodiesel Magazine tbryan@bbiinternational.com treatment systems—especially for those processing tallow—along 701-746-8385 with an FFA reduction unit. Friedrich says physical refining can be used to separate FFA from the triglyceride stream, or as an alternative, it is also possible to use a glycerolysis process to convert www.BiodieselMagazine.com

25

SPOTLIGHT SAM CARBIS SOLUTIONS GROUP

SAFE AND EFFICIENT: Today’s largest biodiesel and renewable diesel producers are predominantly relying on rail to move product to market, often in unit train volumes.

PHOTO: SAM CARBIS SOLUTIONS GROUP

Keeping the Biodiesel Industry Safer Fall prevention and safety pioneer, Sam Carbis Solutions Group, designs and fabricates custom loading and unloading systems for the growing biomass-based diesel industry.

By Biodiesel Magazine Staff Sam Carbis founded the Aluminum Ladder Co. in 1930 with the idea of helping American workers and firefighters—the early pioneers of first response—stay safe and efficient on the job, whether it was building homes, repairing equipment, or saving lives. Today, Carbis’ mission carries on as his namesake company, Sam Carbis Solutions Group LLC, continues to offer fall protection and safety solutions to the world.

Carbis, a fourth-generation familyowned business headquartered in Florence, South Carolina, is today a global leader in customized bulk loading access equipment and turnkey systems for truck, rail and marine applications across all industries. Carbis is the only company in North America that designs and manufactures both access equipment and loading arms, ensuring they work 26

BIODIESEL MAGAZINE

l

together without interference. The company fabricates its industrial equipment in their manufacturing facility in Darlington, South Carolina, just minutes from its headquarters and engineering hub.

A Natural Extension For 60-plus years after Carbis was founded, the company’s main focus remained ladder manufacturing—in particular, ladders designed for fire departments.

To this day, in fact, its ladder subsidiary still supplies a large number of U.S. fire departments and fire truck manufacturers with ladders, says Jason Shannon, regional sales manager at Carbis. “That said, industrial fall protection and safety solutions is without question the largest segment of our business today,” he says.

2021 SUMMER EDITION

'You’ll find our equipment at some of the largest biodiesel and renewable diesel facilities in the country' Jason Shannon, Carbis

Put 35 years of loading and unloading experience to work for you

Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q

Ra Railcar Platforms & Access Tr Truck Platforms & Access Enclosures Gangways and Safety Cages Marine Access Loading Arms Canopy Systems Spill Containment Grounding Systems Flatbed Fall Protection Site Assessments Employee Training

Let’s discuss your needs, d and dh how we can h help l keep your people safer and products flowing.

Call

1-800-845-2387

Visit

tinyurl.com/324yc4fs www.BiodieselMagazine.com

27

SPOTLIGHT SAM CARBIS SOLUTIONS GROUP

Shannon explains that, starting decades ago, Carbis was asked by its customers to build platforms, which it frequently did.

Over the years, as jobsite safety became increasingly more important—especially with the establishment of OSHA in the early 1970s—Carbis was increasingly called on to design and manufacture custom loading solutions for its clients.

“The emphasis on safety, and continued innovation in that area, gave rise to modern-day industrial fall protection solutions,” Shannon says, explaining that Carbis officially started offering fall protection and loading systems in the mid 1980’s.

In a span of nearly 40 years, Carbis has engineered and fabricated custom truck and rail car loading solutions for thousands of businesses and institutions and is a world leader in customized bulk loading access and fall protection equipment.

Biofuel Solutions While Carbis can and does sometimes install loading systems at fuel terminals, the majority of its work in the biodiesel/renewable diesel industry is onsite at production plants. “You’ll find our equipment at some of the largest biodiesel and renewable diesel facilities in the country,” Shannon says.

“The industry is in a major growth phase right now, for a multitude of reasons, and it’s keeping us very busy.

Large renewable diesel producers, in particular, rely heavily on rail to move product to market, Shannon says, explaining that a large number of the loading/unloading systems Carbis installs in the industry are for rail. “It’s not uncommon for some of these sites to handle 40 or 50 rail cars, or more, at a time.”

Whether biofuel producers are looking for a simple gantry system, or a complete package featuring cages, loading arms, and spill containment, Carbis’ team of onsite engineers can design the solution they need.

Shannon says the company’s role in designing and building loading systems typically includes the platform, loading arm and physical mechanism to get the product in 28

BIODIESEL MAGAZINE

l

DESIGNED TO PROTECT: The components for Carbis’ loading/unloading platforms, like this canopied system for trucks, are engineered and fabricated in South Carolina.

PHOTO: SAM CARBIS SOLUTIONS GROUP

and out of trucks or rail cars, but not the process piping, pumps and metering technology that transfers product to and from storage tanks. “We provide everything around the truck or rail car: the platform to get you up there, the access around it, spill containment, and more,” he says.

Project Partner “We try not to think of ourselves as a vendor of equipment, but rather a safety solutions partner that happens to offer equipment,” Shannon says. “We’ve been in this business long enough to know what ‘not to do,’ which is a huge advantage. When you’ve seen almost everything, you really learn what works, what doesn’t, and why.

Our experience is our biggest strength.”

The first step Carbis takes with a new client is gaining an in-depth understanding of what the customer needs before advancing them through a step-by-step process of design and engineering. “How many cars do they need to unload, and at what rate?”

Shannon relays. “Do they need to accommodate different rail car sizes or unique configurations on site? And what’s their corporate requirement for safety—because safety is defined differently by each customer?”

After extensive up-front planning, Carbis’ mechanical, civil and electrical engineers in Florence collaborate to bring the

2021 SUMMER EDITION

project to life, ultimately producing detailed drawings of what will be fabricated in Darlington. The time required to design, fabricate and erect each loading system varies widely, depending on the customer, location, weather and many other factors. “Every project is different and regardless of the timeline, each job is completed to not only our standards, but the customer’s,” Shannon says.

Staying Safer Carbis’ work on site doesn’t end with installation. “We can build the nicest, most expensive piece of equipment out there, but if you don’t show people how to use it properly, it’s useless,” Shannon says. “So training is a huge aspect of what we do.”

Ultimately, Carbis views training as a vital extension of safety, which is central to the company’s founding mission and purpose. “At the end of day, it’s our job to make sure everyone goes home to their family at night,” Shannon says. “We stand behind our company tagline—"Keeping Your People Safer and Your Products Flowing”—and we use the word ‘safer,’ instead of ‘safe,’ because you should always be increasing safety. Staying safe implies that you have achieved a basic level of safety. ‘Safer’ implies continuous improvement, and the difference is important to us.”

SPOTLIGHT BDI-BIOENERGY INTERNATIONAL

Building with Balance

BDI-BioEnergy International GmbH is successfully engaged in both biodiesel plant construction and renewable diesel feedstock pretreatment design.

For over 25 years, Austria-based BDI-BioEnergy International GmbH has been engineering biodiesel plants globally, building a name for its industry-leading design and deep understanding of feedstocks and pretreatment systems. Today, the company’s renowned process savvy is being applied to the fast-growing renewable diesel segment while, at the same time, BDI is staying busy with new biodiesel plant construction.

“Working with all kinds of different feedstock throughout the years, from fresh vegetable oils to waste oils and fats, we have gained considerable know-how and an unmatched understanding of how to process them to biodiesel,” says Theo Friedrich, technical sales manager for BDI. “It was a logical next step for us to use that knowledge and experience gained in biodiesel to expand our activities in the field of pretreatment for renewable diesel.”

Now, with multiple biodiesel projects underway—and renewable diesel activity rising precipitously around the world—BDI is balancing its resources to serve both segments of the biomass-based diesel industry. “Waste-based biodiesel is still the most important sector for us, and we are working on several large biodiesel projects at the moment,” Friedrich says. “For sure, the field of renewable

STRUCTURED INNOVATION: Crimson Renewable Energy in Bakersfield, California, uses BDI's RepCAT biodiesel production technology. The facility's distillation unit, shown here, is an open-air design.

PHOTO: BDI-BIOENERGY INTERNATIONAL GMBH

diesel is growing, and it is an important sector that fits very well into our portfolio as a supplier of renewable fuel technology and green tech solutions.”

Currently, BDI’s multi-feedstock biodiesel technology, called RepCAT, is being installed at Cargill’s high-profile biodiesel plant under construction in Ghent, Belgium. The facility will be the first in Europe capable of processing numerous feedstocks, including fatty acids from vegetable oil refining, liquid residues from industrial processes, and even the fat recovered from sewage sludge from local municipalities.

The Ghent facility will be complete in June 2022. For BDI, however, the work won’t stop with commissioning. “For us, the customer service that comes after startup is an important task,” Friedrich says. “It is our mission to train and hand over to our customers the important knowledge regarding the efficient and economic operation of the plant.”

www.BiodieselMagazine.com

29

MARKETPLACE

Erin P.B. Zasada

John D. Schroeder

21/,1(

BIODIESEL ',5(&725< 6($5&+ %,2',(6(/

,1'8675< &203$1,(6

y/^d/E' WZK h Z^ DW>KzD Ed KE^h>d/E'

Yh/WD Ed

&hdhZ WZK h Z^

> E/E' h d/KE

Biodiesel Magazine’s Webinar Series

GLUHFWRU\ ELRGLHVHOPDJD]LQH FRP Savage Associates Inc. Since 1948, Savage Associates Inc. have been providing a broad range of products, & services serving the Biodiesel, Bioheat, Petroleum, Petro-Chemical, Aviation, and Military Industries, as well as a diverse customer base of Industrial Liquid Process Plants both in the U.S. and around the world for the Handling & Movement of Thin & Viscous Liquids, Vapors and Gases.

sales@savageassociatesinc.com 305-767-0807 http://savageassociatesinc.com 30

Biodiesel Magazine’s Webinar Series

PQ Corporation

Online Biodiesel Directory

In this era of digital marketing, creating an integrated marketing approach is more important than ever. We have now added webinars to our media mix and advertising opportunities you can incorporate into your marketing efforts that make it easy to maximize your advertising impact, at the same time gain access to hundreds of contacts focused on a niche market.

PQ provides a variety of adsorbents tailored to the Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel industries. Not only can such adsorbents address contaminant levels but they can contribute to lower operating costs by reducing overall chemical buy, minimizing feedstock losses and lessening generation of waste. Contact us to learn more and discuss a customized solution.

Directory.biodieselmagazine.com is the most comprehensive list of industry suppliers, producers, researchers and government agencies available in the world.

The online directory is an invaluableresource to help find the contact information you are looking for and help others find you.

866-746-8385 service@bbiinternational.com www.biodieselmagazine.com/ pages/webinar/

John McNichol Market Development Manager 561.379.8274 John.mcnichol@pqcorp.com

BIODIESEL MAGAZINE



2021 SUMMER EDITION

Looking for someone in the Biodiesel Industry.

Search online for free.

Sign-up for a free listing.

Add a logo. Purchase advertising.

866-746-8385 service@bbiinternational.com directory.biodieselmagazine.com

&6)%8,) 2IEVP] SRI MR WM\ %QIVMGERW PMZI MR ER EVIE [LIVI XLIVI EVI XSS QER] HE]W [MXL YRLIEPXLJYP PIZIPW SJ TEVXMGPI TSPPYXMSR %GGSVHMRK XS E RI[ WXYH] FMSHMIWIP VIHYGIW TEVXMGYPEXI QEXXIV IQMWWMSR F] [LMGL GER VIHYGI GERGIV ERH TVIQEXYVI QSVXEPMX] VEXIW -X GER EPWS VIHYGI EWXLQE MRGMHIRXW EGXMZMX] VIWXVMGXMSRW ERH PSWX [SVOHE]W 8LI WYFWXMXYXMSR SJ GPIER FYVRMRK FMSHMIWIP JSV TIXVSPIYQ HMIWIP LEW VIHYGIH KVIIRLSYWI KEW IQMWWMSRW F] QSVI XLER QMPPMSR QIXVMG XSRW SZIV XLI PEWX XLVII HIGEHIW Ū XLEXŭW XLI IUYMZEPIRX SJ VIQSZMRK SZIV QMPPMSR ZILMGPIW JVSQ %QIVMGER VSEHW 8LMW WLSYPH QEOI YW EPP FVIEXLI E PMXXPI IEWMIV

&IXXIV'PIERIV2S[ SVK www.BiodieselMagazine.com

31

dĿĕĸŠſŕ ŠƉĸŠĿưĿŷȼ LÈw ĕſĸ wŷĿƉIJŜĿžŠIJĕŷ ¨ĿIJŜſƉŷƉŕŠĿư ƩĿƺƩĿĕƺžĿſƺ Q LÈw ɖLǡĸƩƉƺƩĿĕƺĿĸ ÈĿŕĿƺĕıŷĿ wŠŷɗ ƩĿƺƩĿĕƺžĿſƺ ŔƉƩ ĿſĿǛĕıŷĿ 'ŠĿưĿŷ Q 'ĿŕǀžžŠſŕ Q ĿŔŠſŠſŕ Q DŠŷƺƩĕƺŠƉſ Q Dĕƺƺǡ IJŠĸ ƺƩŠƦƦŠſŕ

ŠƉĸŠĿưĿŷ ʚ lĿƺŜǡŷĿưƺĿƩư ¨ƩĕſưĿưƺĿƩŠŔŠIJĕƺŠƉſ dƉǛɞŕƩĕĸĿ ŔĿĿĸưƺƉIJŴ ƦƩƉIJĿưưŠſŕ Q IJŠĸ 0ưƺĿƩŠŔŠIJĕƺŠƉſ Q 0ưƺĿƩŠŔŠIJĕƺŠƉſ ǛŠƺŜ ŕŷǡIJĿƩƉŷ Q lĿƺŜǡŷĿưƺĿƩ 'ŠưƺŠŷŷĕƺŠƉſ Q lĿƺŜǡŷĿưƺĿƩ DƩĕIJƺŠƉſĕŷ 'ŠưƺŠŷŷĕƺŠƉſ Q lĿƺŜǡŷĿưƺĿƩ LǡĸƩƉŕĿſĕƺŠƉſ Q EŷǡIJĿƩŠſĿ 'ŠưƺŠŷŷĕƺŠƉſɈ ĿŔŠſŠſŕ Q ¨!Ɉ! D¨ ưƉŷǀƺŠƉſư

Ȼ ƩŠŔŠIJĕƺŠƉſ ¨ƩĕſưĿưƺĿ Ŵ Ɖǀƺ !ŜĿIJ ưƺ ƉǀƩ IJĕƺĕŷǡ

ŕ ưĕǚŠſ ŕŠĿưȾ ƺĿIJŜſƉŷƉ

wǚĿƩ ưĿŷ Ʀŷĕſƺư ĸ ȉȊȍ ıŠƉ ŠĿ ıĕŷŷǡȼ žƉưƺ ŕŷƉ ŠſưƺĕŷŷĿĸ ƺƩĿĕƺžĿſƺ ƩĿ Ʀ Ŝ Šƺ Ǜ ŕ ƦƩƉIJĿưưŠſ

Q Q

IJĕŷĿ ĸǀưƺƩŠĕŷ ư ƩƉǚĿſ Šſ Ŀſƺ ƺĿIJŜſƉŷƉŕǡ Ŀĕƺž LÈw ƩĿƺƩ ƩĕƺŠƉſ ưŠſIJĿ ȊȈȉȊ Ȼ Šſ ƉƦĿ IJǀưƺƉžĿƩư ǡ ƩĿƦĿĕƺ !ŜƉưĿſ ı ɇ Ȋ Î 0ǀƩƉƦĿĕſ Ȍ Î ® ® ſưɇ Ȋ ſĿǛ ĿǠƦĕſưŠƉ ĸĿƩ ĿǠĿIJǀƺŠƉſ ſ ƦƩƉűĿIJƺư ǀ

Dĕƺƺǡ IJŠĸư ʚ EŷǡIJĿƩŠſĿ Dĕƺƺǡ ŷIJƉŜƉŷư

ɖ'ĕǚǡ ƩƉIJĿưư ¨ĿIJŜſƉŷƉŕǡɗ

ǛǛǛɂĸĿưžĿƺıĕŷŷĿưƺƩĕɂIJƉž ' m ɂ d0 ʙĸĿưžĿƺıĕŷŷĿưƺƩĕɂIJƉž

The recipe The perfect perfect recipe

FOR EVERY FOR PURIFYING PURIFYING EVERY FUEL FEEDSTOCK FEEDSTOCK FUEL ALTERNATIVEFEEDSTOCKS FEEDSTOCKS LIKE LIKE USED USED COOKING ALTERNATIVE COOKINGOIL OILBRING BRINGNEW NEWCHALLENGES CHALLENGES TO MAKING RENEWABLE FUELS. WE HELP YOU SOLVE THEM WITH MINERAL PURIFICATION SOLUTIONS THAT:

• are tailored to your needs • work with practically any feedstock • reliably remove a broad range of contaminants • give you greater flexibility in sourcing • safeguard your process from bottlenecks • reduce your total cost of ownership

WWW.CLARIANT.COM/OILPURIFICATION

www.BiodieselMagazine.com

33