Biodiesel production from high risk fats

20. August 2021

BDI-BioEnergy International, the Styria-based manufacturer of industrial plants for biodiesel production, has set new benchmarks with its RepCAT (Repeatable Catalyst) technology. Official European approval has now been given for the process, which is used to produce high quality biodiesel. It is completely safe, even though it is converted from high risk fat materials.

BDI-BioEnergy International’s commitment to developing innovative technologies goes back decades. The company has clocked up many technology milestones, particularly in the field of biodiesel production using residual and waste materials. These include the first plants to be built in the world for biodiesel production that utilised spent cooking oils and fats from animal waste or fat separators.

The RepCAT (Repeatable Catalyst) process is based on a sustainable technology that uses a recyclable catalyst to produce biodiesel. The technology offers two distinct advantages: Not only does it improve the quality of the two end products, biodiesel and glycerine, it also decreases the consumption of operating resources. The RepCAT process uses both less energy and less water and does not require a new catalyst, as it can be recycled.

The company has now clocked up a further milestone: The BDI research team has also been able to convince the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) that the RepCAT process is suitable for the recycling of high risk fat materials. This means the process can now be used for safe manufacture of biodiesel from heavily polluted animal fats, which are otherwise hazardous to the environment. The positive approval assessment was based on tests conducted jointly with the renowned University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf.

Three new large-scale biodiesel plantsn

BDI is currently constructing three large-scale industrial biodiesel plants using RepCAT technology. The first plant will go into operation this year in the USA, followed by plants in Eastern Europe and Belgium.

“This success reflects our constant endeavour, not just to offer our customers a technical solution that is the best, but to also positively influence the general trade and industrial conditions for biodiesel production, thus enabling our customers to generate a market advantage over the competition,” explains BDI CEO Markus Dielacher.

Kontakt

Edgar Ahn

BDI-BioEnergy International GmbH