Closed Down Methanol Plant Turned into the World's Largest Biofuels Production Plant

(Chemrec) On the northern coast of the Netherlands a few driven entrepreneurs transformed a closed down methanol factory into the world’s largest second generation biofuels production unit in less than three years. By changing the feedstock into crude glycerine and applying a patented evaporating technique, the end-product is now a bio-methanol chemically identical to methanol but with an environmentally friendly profile.

...The traditional method for producing methanol involves the use of natural gas, a feedstock not only non-renewable but in Europe also increasingly scarce and expensive. BioMCN developed and patented a vaporisation process that instead uses crude glycerine, a residue from biodiesel production, as feedstock. Crude glycerine is available in large quantities and the prices are periodically very low.

...Glycerine is used in different pharmaceutical products, such as toothpaste and soaps, however there is a big surplus on the market. The good thing about converting glycerine to bio-methanol is that the full energy potential of the glycerine can be utilised. When used as a fuel, it reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 70% (well-to-wheel) compared to regular gasoline.