On September 13, 2016, Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) member Flint Hills Resources, along with Benefuel® Inc., announced the startup of the Duonix Beatrice biodiesel plant, and the first successful commercial-scale application of Benefuel's innovative ENSEL technology. ENSEL technology is capable of converting a range of lower cost feedstocks such as recycled cooking oil and distillers corn oil into high-quality biodiesel. Once fully operational, the Duonix Beatrice plant will produce approximately 50 million gallons of biodiesel annually. The plant has already made commercial sales of product that meets or exceeds ASTM specifications for biodiesel.
The ENSEL technology uses a solid catalyst that combines esterification of high free fatty acid feedstocks and transesterification of triglycerides into a single step, which eliminates waste, improves process efficiency, and expands feedstock options. The product is further enhanced by an upgraded, backend distillation process that removes additional impurities which, when used on high free fatty acid feedstocks such as distillers corn oil, produces a higher quality biodiesel with superior cold weather performance. In addition to producing 50 million gallons of biodiesel, Duonix Beatrice is expected to produce a variety of coproducts such as glycerin, which can be used as a food additive and as a compound found in a number of medical, pharmaceutical and personal care products.
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