Biolux Biofuels Begins Construction of 90.6-Million Gallon Biodiesel Plant in China
10 October 2006
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| China is the world’s top producer of rapeseed. Click to enlarge. |
Austrian biofuel company Biolux Biofuels has begun construction on a wholly-owned biodiesel plant in Nantong City in east China’s Jiangsu Province. The €120-million project—the largest Austrian agrarian investment yet in China—will have an annual capacity of 300,000 tonnes (90.6 million gallons US) of biodiesel produced from 800,000 tonnes of rapeseed.
The plant, which will be able to use multiple vegetable oils as feedstocks, is due to be completed in 2007.
China is the world’s largest producer of rapeseed, with 11.4 million tonnes of output in 2003 according to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Canada, the world’s second-largest producer, yielded 6.7 million tonnes that year. Biolux is viewing the new plant as a source for exports to meet growing European demand for biodiesel, in addition to the domestic China market.
Nantong as a production location is ideal for us. The raw materials can be delivered directly by ship and the entrance to the open sea enables us to market our products globally.
—Veit Schalle, Chairman Biolux Board
Domestic European production of vegetable and seed oils for biodiesel feedstock will meet only about one-third of the projected need determined by biofuel targets. The balance will be imported.
In Canada rapeseed is now known as Canola. (for the sake of political correctness no doubt)
Posted by: Neil | 10 October 2006 at 02:12 PM
We'll have to do something about the Canola gap. :)
Posted by: Neil | 10 October 2006 at 02:14 PM
In Canada rapeseed is now known as Canola.
Yes, and also in tUSA.
(for the sake of political correctness no doubt)
Well, doubt it. Canola is a trademarked cultivar of rapeseed. In fact, Canola comes from "Canadan oil, low acid. All Canola is rapeseed, but not all rapeseed is Canola, much like all Kleenex are tissues, but not all tissues are Kleenex.
So no, "political correctness" hasn nothing to do with it. It's all about branding and marketing.
Posted by: stomv | 10 October 2006 at 02:25 PM
I think "political correctness," in this context, meant marketing, branding, and generally staying away from creating negative images in the minds of consumers -- not "actual" political correctness.
Posted by: NBK-Boston | 10 October 2006 at 08:24 PM
please DO remember that biodiesel is the result of a TRANSESTERIFICATION reaction:
10 kg fat + 1kg alcohol => 10 kg Biodiesel + 1kg glycerine
today's alcohol used is METHANOL from NATURAL GAS reforming... which makes biodiesel not 100% bio!
Selim
Posted by: Selim Nouri | 11 October 2006 at 02:25 AM
You could make the methanol from biomass gasification, which not only makes it "bio", but CO2 neutral. Just because things like methanol, hydrogen and nitrogen fertilizers are made from processing NG, does not mean that they always have to.
Posted by: SJC | 11 October 2006 at 08:00 PM
You can also use ethanol instead of methanol, but methanol is cheaper. Watch China become the 2nd Greenest Country within a decade and the US fall behind again. China does not have a petrolum economy so they do not have to appease a minority of very wealthy at the expense of the masses like we do and they have a distribution system for petrol products which makes it easier to blend and move the products, openly government owned petrol companies instead of a government owned by petrol companies.
Posted by: Don | 18 October 2006 at 06:28 PM