Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header
Zawartość zarchiwizowana w dniu 2022-12-27

INSTALLATION OF A PRODUCTION PLANT FOR 60 000 T/P BIODIESEL (METHYL ESTER) FROM RAPESEED OIL IN LEER (GERMANY)

Cel

Aim of the project is the conversion of rapeseed oil into biodiesel to open renewable resources and to find new outlets for agricultural products, for biodiesel has been proved to be a suitable fuel for diesel engines with several significant advantages regarding exhaust emissions, toxicity and CO2 saving. The new developed CD process is based on transesterification of vegetable oil with methanol, yielding biodiesel and glycerine. The reaction is followed by washing steps, the preparation of commercial glycerine and the recycling of methanol and water. The plant with a capacity of 80.000 t/y is erected in combination with an existing oil mill, favourably sited at the seaport Leer (river Ems). The process is innovative in that it avoids distillation and obtains biodiesel of very high quality, saving more than 50% of energy compared with conventional process units.
The project was finished with a small delay. The table shows a general resume comparing plan and realization:
planned effective
start of operation August 1995 September 1995
total investment (Mio DM) 20,600 20,660
capacity (t/y) 60.000 up to 80.000
energy consumption 1/3 1/3
(part of usual)
quality DIN V 51606 E DIN 51606
or better or better
Since autumn 1996 the production plant is running with a daily capacity of 270.000 l of biodiesel. The quality of the product corresponds to E DIN 51606 or is better than this. Mainly regarding the glycerine content of the product the results obtained with the small plants could be confirmed.
actual E DIN 51606
2 TE-steps bonded glycerine down to 0,05% 0,25%
free glycerine below 0,005% 0,020%
neutralization number 0,150 mg KOH/g 0,500 mg KOH/g
Regarding the requirements of the DIN-standard only 2 transesterification steps are used. Eeven using only two steps the typical degree of transesterification is higher than 99%, with a very small content of mono and diglycerides.
The biodiesel-quality produced in Leer is accepted by all german car manufacturers and is supposed to be the best one in the german market.
The use of biodiesel in Germany is still increasing offering a growing market to the farmers in Europe. The table shows the evaluation of the biodiesel demand and the corresponding demand of rape seed during the last years.
Year biodiesel demand [t] rape seed [t]
1991 200 540
1992 5.000 13.500
1993 10.000 27.000
1994 25.000 67.500
199545.000 121.500
1996 60.000 162.000
1997 (expected) 100.000 270.000
The energy consumption of the unit in Leer is, as expected, much lower than in conventional transesterification plants. With a demand of 24 kWh/t RME of electric energy and 300 kg/t RME of steam the energy consumption is about three times lower than for a biodiesel plant with high temperature process and distillation. This leads to low costs for the production of biodiesel. As assumed in the contract the total operation costs for the biodiesel plant are below 150 DM/t RME, still improved by the side products.
The glycerine freed during the transesterification process is dried and cleaned in the glycerine distillation unit. The product is recovered as 99,5% glycerine according to international pharmacopeia with high yield.
The newly developed CD Process was scaled up from a pilot plant with 1 t/day and a test plant with 7-20 t/d to an industrial production plant.
The production plant in Leer is designed to produce at least 60.000 t/a biodiesel using the CD process developed by the proposer.
Characteristics of the CD process:
* continuous
* pressure free
* decent temperatures
* energy saving
* high quality products.
Innovative aspects of this process are:
* continuously operating reaction columns with concurrent streams at certain velocities depending on the difference in specific gravities of the phases
* short-term hydrous extraction process, taking place during the separation process in plate separators, thus eliminating a content of up to 0,5% of free glycerine in the light phase shifting the reaction balance to the desired direction
* Washing water and later extraction medium (if necessary after addition of pH-influencing substances) is led countercurrent from the last washing step to the firsttransesterification step to save methanol and energy.
The contact time between light ester phase and the heavier washing/extraction medium in all stages is very short so the competing hydrolisis does not take place. Additional undesired saponification is negligible.
The resulting qualities of the end product of the CD process under optimum conditions with the test plants (2 or 3 transesterification steps) were as follows :
2 TE-steps bonded glycerine 0,07%
mainly mono-glycerine
free glycerine below 0,005%
neutralization number 0,150 mg KOH/g
3 TE-teps bonded glycerine 0,015%
free glycerine 0,005%
neutralisation number 0,150 mg KOH/g
These characteristics of methyl esters were unique in 1992 and were hardly to obtain with the processes known even if combined with distillation steps.
The industrial production plant is working under the following conditions:
the reaction is carried out under atmospheric pressure (1 bar) at abt. 70 deg. C. The flow quantity of abt. 10 t/h gives a nominal capacity of 240 t/h or 80.000 t/y, extendable by small additional investment to abt. 100.000 t/y.

Zaproszenie do składania wniosków

Data not available

Koordynator

OELMUEHLE LEER CONNEMANN GMBH & CO
Wkład UE
Brak danych
Adres
SAEGEMUEHLENSTREET 45
26789 Leer
Niemcy

Zobacz na mapie

Koszt całkowity
Brak danych