Supercritical Biodiesel

What is Supercritical Biodiesel technology?

Supercritical Biodiesel technology converts low-quality oils and fatty acids directly into distilled biodiesel without using any catalyst, operating entirely under supercritical conditions.

This breakthrough process treats un-pretreated inputs to produce high-quality Biodiesel (FAME) and premium crude glycerin. It provides a highly cost-effective solution for small to medium-sized customers.

Key advantages and performance data

• Total feedstock flexibility: Seamlessly handles Used Cooking Oil (UCO), distiller’s corn oil (DCO), acid oil, tallow, yellow grease, and fatty acids with a Free Fatty Acid (FFA) content ranging up to 100%.
• Production capacity: Flexible, standalone units designed to produce 50 to 750 tonnes per day (tpd).
• Optimized OPEX: Operating costs are strictly contained at approximately 75 USD/tonne.
• No catalyst needed: Eliminates the use of acidic or caustic chemicals, simplifying the process and reducing environmental risks.
• Proven reliability: Commercial-scale plants are already in operation, with additional plants engineered.

Exceeding global fuel standards 

Through direct esterification and transesterification using only methanol under supercritical condition, the crude product is distilled to achieve the highest international ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) and EN biodiesel specifications. Furthermore, the process naturally produces a crude glycerin that is nearly free of any salts. The remaining distillation bottoms contain unsaponifiable components that can be immediately valorized as industrial fuel.

Automated and cost-effective operation 

Compared to conventional biodiesel technologies requiring extensive feed pretreatment, our supercritical solution demands a lower capital investment. It is also significantly less capital-intensive than a typical HVO project. Moreover, the continuous process adjusts automatically to feedstock variations, ensuring smooth operations with minimal operator intervention.