http://journalstar.com/business/local/expansion-already-being-discussed-at-beatrice-biodiesel-plant/article_31b88780-2408-571c-87f6-28b34ad985b2.html
Expansion already being discussed at Beatrice biodiesel plant
SCOTT KOPERSKI Beatrice Daily Sun Feb 13, 2017 Updated 5 hrs ago
Biodiesel production in Beatrice has held strong since a plant was put
into service last year, setting new milestones for production.
The Duonix Beatrice biodiesel plant started producing the clean fuel
around six months ago and now employs 50 workers, with engineering and
other positions being added.
Plant Manager Russell Leighton said as production increases, more
positions may be added.
“We’ve got a good group of employees and one of our senior VPs made the
comment that our folks have a lot of grit,” Leighton said. “As we
optimize, we’ll have to switch from third-party help to permanent
positions. Depending on what direction we go as far as expansion, we’ll
have to add employees.”
He added potential expansion plans are still being evaluated as the
company continues to increase production, which has been strong.
“We had our record month for the second month in a row,” Leighton said.
“We produced more than two million gallons this month alone. The
quality, we're being told by customers, is the best they’ve seen.”
The plant was purchased by Duonix Beatrice -- a joint venture between
Flint Hills Resources, which is a subsidiary of Koch Industries Inc. and
Benefuel Inc. -- in late 2011.
The plant was originally built in 2008, but was not finished and never
operated.
Originally constructed at a cost of $50 million, the plant was sent to
auction and purchased for $5 million.
Flint Hills Resources and Benefuel needed to invest more than $100
million to retrofit the plant for operation.
While around 70 percent of the structure was usable, nearly all of the
piping had to be redone to accommodate the plant’s needs.
Biodiesel can be used in most diesel engines, especially newer ones. The
fuel has about 90 percent of the energy traditional diesel does, but
comes with less sulfur, resulting in less buildup and fewer injector issues.
The plant, the only functioning biodiesel plant in Nebraska, uses what
the company calls ENSEL technology.
The process makes it possible to convert a range of lower cost
feedstocks, such as recycled cooking oil and distillers corn oil, into
high-quality biodiesel.
It does this by using a solid catalyst that combines esterification, a
certain type of reaction, of high free fatty acid feedstocks and other
processes into a single step, which eliminates waste, improves process
efficiency and expands feedstock options.
