Plasma Blue: Making Cents

by Seg Niebuhr (Plasma Blue/Biobased Diesel Daily) ... But when a biodiesel production plant saves 1 cent per gallon on 35 million gallons, it can quickly change the plant’s long-term viability. Now imagine: What if they could save up to 15 cents per gallon?

Enter Plasma Blue, a revolutionary new technology that creates biodiesel at a dramatically lower production cost while integrating easily into existing biodiesel plants, new greenfield projects, as well as ethanol refineries.

Plasma Blue technology uses electricity to excite the molecules as they pass through the reactor, which in turn causes an improved intimate contact between the molecules. This technology drives the reaction faster than any other form of transesterification and, in doing so, delivers a more complete conversion and decreases bottleneck issues during this stage. Using Plasma Blue technology as a means for performing transesterification will offer dramatic advantages, including a potential 15 cents per gallon savings due to the lower catalyst cost.
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After putting this technology to the test, our confidence in this process is high and we are ready to introduce Plasma Blue to leaders throughout the biofuels industry. To do this effectively, we have developed a self-contained mobile testing unit. This unit will allow plants to see the technology firsthand, in the comfort of their own facility. The mobile testing unit exists in an enclosed trailer, allowing multiple feedstock product samples to be run on site and tested in the plant’s laboratory for comparison. READ MORE

Excerpt from Plasma Blue/Biobased Diesel Daily: Leverage Plasma Blue technology to create the true trifecta of low-carbon liquid biofuel using not just one but two farm-based products—crop oils and ethanol—and renewable electricity.

Plasma Blue is a revolutionary technology that creates low-carbon biodiesel at significantly lower production costs while seamlessly integrating into existing renewable fuel plants or those being built.

With recent changes in U.S. federal and state policies, reducing the carbon-intensity (CI) score of biofuels is imperative. By using electricity instead of natural gas, Plasma Blue requires much less energy because it doesn’t require preheating and creates flexibility in operations. The ability to lower energy costs while simultaneously reducing biodiesel’s CI allows plants to take greater advantage of government incentives for clean, renewable energy—coupling lower production costs with greater tax benefits....Plasma Blue technology can be powered through wind or solar energy because of its ultra-low electricity requirement. And by utilizing farm-grown feedstock such as soybean oil and ethanol—another ag-based product—instead of methanol, along with wind or solar power, the ultimate low-carbon renewable liquid fuel can be achieved. In addition, Plasma Blue uses a less-intensive catalyst that is significantly more affordable than traditional ones, which could further improve a facility’s CI score and dramatically reduce production costs. READ MORE