Working Toward Sustainable Biofuel Production

Oregon Carbon Calculator

2011-02-10T11:53:00.000-08:00

Oregon Carbon Calculator

http://www.texasbiodieselkitsandsupply.com/featured/biofuels-9

2011-02-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

http://www.texasbiodieselkitsandsupply.com/featured/biofuels-9

Dan Verser, Co-Founder, ZeaChem

2011-01-10T11:38:00.001-08:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Dan Verser, Co-Founder, ZeaChem

View more presentations from EntrepreneurTrek.

2010-12-07T11:22:00.000-08:00

TBK Biodiesel will be represented at The National Algae Association's Collaboration, Strategic Alliances and Networking Event (January 13-14, 2011) at The Biotech Institute - Lone Star College! Click here for more information.

Sustainability Mapping for TBK Biodiesel

2010-12-03T16:57:00.001-08:00

The subject topic has been accepted for presentation at the prestigious Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET 2011)!

The presentation will discuss TBK Biodiesel's plans for partnering with external organizations for scaling-up production of an improved biodiesel (one whose production process eliminates the glycerol-glut, is significantly more efficient, and is also synergistic to cellulosic ethanol production)!

Look forward to more good news as progress with TBK Biodiesel continues!

MicroBiOil: From Crude Glycerin to Biodiesel - Biodiesel Magazine

2010-08-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

This article by Malena Valdivieso of Biodiesel Magazine implicitly indicates that TBK-Biodiesel as a viable solution for getting rid of the growing glycerol glut!
MicroBiOil: From Crude Glycerin to Biodiesel - Biodiesel Magazine

When Life Gives You Lemons…Make Ethyl Acetate THEN MAKE TBK-BIODIESEL!

2010-08-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

Jim Lane, the editor of Biofuels Digest unwittingly, or not, gives TBK a leg up with this article!
http://advancedbiofuelsusa.info/when-life-gives-you-lemons%E2%80%A6make-ethyl-acetate

TBK Biodiesel is on Facebook!

2010-08-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

Please Join us here: TBK Biodiesel on Facebook!

Ethanol debate heats up according to ICIS Green Chemicals

2010-07-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

Here is an article that sums up a lot of confusion about biofuels and the ongoing political debate focusing on corn ethanol production. Conventional ethanol production with corn (corn ethanol) is obsolete when compared to improved cellulosic ethanol production; see Davy Process Technology. Conventional ethanol production is arguably obsolete in some respects when compared to conventional gas production, especially with regard to ethanol's higher emissions and higher energy requirements. Ethanol production is an investment. Ethanol has wide political support and economic potential.

I would bet that IF a sizable biofuel market could be developed around corn ethanol, then that same market could also be weened off corn ethanol and supplied by an increasingly efficient (greener) supply of ethanol (enabled by something like the Davy process). An increasingly green supply-chain would then naturally occur in time, IF provisions are made for transitioning between progressively efficient technologies. These future transitions between technologies are not unlike one's that have occurred in our recent past.

Problems with biofuels can be eliminated incrementally with innovation.
Biofuels research and development efforts are advancing production efficiencies at a high rate. What is Moore's Law for biofuels?

Green chemical byproducts like ethyl acetate are more widely available because of technologies like the Davy process. So, it is also becoming increasingly feasible to commercialize biofuels like TBK-Biodiesel. In other words technical solutions are available for a transition to producing improved biofuels. Therefore we should not base future projections of biofuels on obsolete biofuels technologies (like corn ethanol). We should base future projections on new biofuel technologies that hold the greatest potential, that are available today, and that are not yet commercialized.

Fortunately, or not, our ability to solve future energy problems is a human problem, not a technological problem. The technologies are already here. But, don't tell anyone lest they find out they're actually part of the problem!

There are technological solutions for many of biofuel's most commonly cited problems.

Here are a few postulates for your consideration while you conduct your own research:

Innovation for biofuels is a necessity for human posterity, not necessarily a necessity for the legacies of incumbent oil firms. There is merit in commercialization of biofuels. Biofuels are one way of developing a greener more sustainable economy that is not dependent on fossil fuels.

We must replace fossil fuels because they will become increasingly expensive as supplies decrease.

When fossil fuels are relied on exclusively there are costs that cannot be recovered at the fuel pump. Consider carbon emissions, air quality, the Gulf Oil Spill and the sociopolitical environment in the Middle East - the costs of the U.S.-Iraq War and the war in Afghanistan.

Ethanol, although not the best possible biofuel alternative, has a proven market and a proven supply-chain. Wider adoption of corn ethanol in the US has led to wider adoption of biofuels in general.

Today's incumbent car manufacturers and oil companies are working to adopt new biofuels (improved blends of biodiesel and ethanol).

The US Navy is spending millions of dollars on biofuels research. That is because biofuels are a national security issue. It is in our best interest to invest heavily into biofuels. You may even consider it patriotic!

-ICIS article providing more information about what inspired this article:
Ethanol debate heats up - ICIS Green Chemicals

Missouri tapping coal mines for ‘slime power’ - Biodiesel Magazine

2010-07-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

Carbon sequestration in coal mines and production of oil from algae! One more opportunity for TBK Biodiesel!
Missouri tapping coal mines for ‘slime power’ - Biodiesel Magazine

ICIS Green Chemicals Article points to another potential partner of TBK; Amyris in CA

2010-06-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

This article speaks of a new JV formed by Amyris and Total to produce green chemicals ICIS Green Chemicals. Here is Total's website.

Here are a couple of quotes from the press release by Doris De Guzman (ICIS):

“Biotechnology offers new perspectives on the conversion of biomass into molecules for biofuels and green chemistry," emphasized Philippe Boisseau, President, Total Gas & Power. “Amyris is one of the most promising start-ups in the emerging white biotechnology field. Its technology platform is a powerful accelerator for the development of industrial production routes for several of our markets. This partnership is a milestone for Total, as we aim to become an important player in this domain."

“Our partnership with Total represents a significant shift forward for Amyris,” said John Melo, Chief Executive Officer of Amyris. “Through our existing relationships and accomplishments, we have built Amyris to be an integrated renewable products company combining technology, production and commercialization. Now, with Total, we have a powerful ally to help us bring that vision to scale and expand our horizons to new products and new technologies.”

Sustainability Mapping for TBK Biodiesel

2010-06-15T15:44:00.001-07:00

I have just submitted a paper to The International Journal of Energy Sector Management (IJESM). The paper describes the generalized process we are using to commercialize TBK Biodiesel.

2010-05-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

It is interesting to see that the EIA projects global increases biomass/waste/tidal wave renewable energy over the coming decades.

BP-Gulf of Mexico Spill or Biofuels? TBK-like technologies are like hitting a homerun for the world's problems

2010-05-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Incumbent oil firms make large profits at the expense of our global environment, our global economy, as the full cost of oil production and consumption is not placed squarely on the oil industry, or the consumer. The full cost of oil production and consumption is placed on the environment at the expense of tax payers.

The interconnection between the global environment and our global economy is undeniable in Louisiana, particularly now in the face of yet another major man-made environmental catastrophe affecting the area. The recent BP-Gulf of Mexico oil spill that will cost an initial $15-3 Billion (USD) to clean up, at least according to preliminary estimates, is certain to put additional economic strain on the entire region of The Gulf of Mexico. This region is vital to the global economy as a fishery, as a tourist destination, and for international trade. The total damage to the region's fishing industry and tourism industry is difficult to quantify in both the long and short term. This oil spill is more than likely to exceed the 11 million gallon Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill. It is more than likely that the total cost to clean up The Gulf will exceed the total cost of the Exxon-Valdez cleanup, if it was only monetary costs we where concerned about.

One can surmise the total cost in dollars and cents of this most recent oil catastrophe. It is a small part of a larger problem, the choice to "do business as usual" with the American petroleum industry.

Events like these demonstrate precisely why technologies, like TBK Biodiesel, are so important for people to understand, so that they can see for themselves:
1. the value that sustainable biofuel technologies can bring to the market, and
2. the boost the global economy will receive as these technologies are integrated into world economies.

So what's the problem if the technology already exists to do away with antiquated petroleum fuels, and the negative side-effects of our global addiction to oil-based economies?

In my reality the problem is the petroleum industry's unwillingness to invest sufficiently into viable sustainable biofuel technologies, like TBK Biodiesel, for which there is undeniably growing market demand. We may also consider the costs of doing business as usual, a.k.a. the "do nothing option", that would shelve these technologies despite our immediate need for new jobs.

The "do nothing option" goes something like this: Americans continuing to be addicted to foreign oil lacking viable public transit options, incumbent oil firms corrupting American politicians through their powerful Washington lobby, incumbent oil firms spending millions on public relations campaigns misinforming and deluding public opinion, American oil firms colluding through collective planned obsolescence and price fixing, American oil firms continuing suppression of our economic vitality through the destruction of our global environment, and American oil firms suppressing American innovation. This isn't a conspiracy, its just reality folks.

The "do nothing option" is not a sustainable option and there are new technologies available that would do away with these catastrophic oil spills.

Biodiesel in the Northwest sees another boost with Imperium Renewables and Tax Incentives

2010-03-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

It is clearer every day that biofuels are coming of age. People agree that sustainable biofuels are the way forward for lasting economic development. TBK Biodiesel is going to be the next step for Imperium Renewables and its plant at Grays Harbor, WA. TBK Biodiesel is the next step because TBK's process eliminates the need for glycerol phase equipment and gives a 10% greater yeild. Companies like Imperium are producing home grown sustainable biodiesel, because that's what American's demand!

One recent article in Biofuels Digest makes the fact very clear that people are demanding biofuels, in particular they are demanding biodiesel. Tax incentives are making it easier for commercialization of sustainable biofuels. So, go Biodiesel!

Read on about Imperium

How to Shape a Global Approach to Climate Change: More Davos, Less Denmark | ClimateBiz.com

2010-02-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

How to Shape a Global Approach to Climate Change: More Davos, Less Denmark | ClimateBiz.com

LA Times - Andrew Malcolm Obama Commentary

2010-01-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

I felt it necessary to write a heartfelt reply regarding Mr Malcolm's recent Op-Ed piece in the LA Times. It was published just prior to President Obama's first State of the Union Address. The original article can be found here:
Andrew Malcolm - a perfect example of why partisan rhetoric sucks - LA Times

My attempt at a constructive response to this article, and one's I've seen not unlike it (coming from both Democrats and Republicans alike):

2010-1-27

Partisan rhetoric is damaging my country, and it is particularly damaging to the interests of my generation. It is damaging to life in general. I definitely agree that jobs are a top concern.

I would like a job that is stable, like the one my father has had for over 30 years. But you see, that is a thing of the past. I'm OK with that.

Now people in Dad's generation (the baby-boomers) care MOST about lowering health care costs so they can retire as soon possible without lowering their quality of life. I would love to see those things happen, especially for my elder family members. Believe me, I believe it is possible.

People are still coming to grips with the notion that they cannot live forever in the manner in which they did during years 1942-2008. I think that you've omitted this extremely important aspect from your description of the political "cause-effect" world you seem to be living in.

It seems like you'd just like to blame the Democrats. That's getting us absolutely nowhere. It's both sad and aggravating to see people misleading themselves.

The reason we are in this depression is because banks were unregulated as a result of prior work done by our government and the businesses it attempted to regulate. You cannot successfully dispute this work was done by Democrats and Republicans together and it was this work that is the cause of our worsening conditions.

Go ahead and blame Obama and critique his "personal" choice to focus on health care (still a major problem - thanks to the exceptionally parasitic businesses in that industry who are still totally out of control). But, I'll never identify with publicly bashing people, even when its for a good cause. Partisan rhetoric is ruining our chances at finding common ground. We don't have time for this kind of nonsense.

Our common ground is beneath our feet. So, let's make ourselves more PRODUCTIVE AND EFFICIENT by fostering economic growth with new technologies and innovative processes. We have new markets already proven, people are literally dieing for new products and services. So, we already have solutions to creating new jobs waiting in the wings. That's indisputable, but it doesn't mean you are aware that it is indisputable!

The real problem is this: Anything new is risky and not adapting to reality is insane. However, reality may not agree with you.

If a radical new solution to creating jobs does not fit into an incumbent firm's strategies it is less likely to be considered as a worthy entrepreneurial endeavor. The radical new solution is more likely to be seen as a potential threat. So, irrespective of what part of the one-dimensional Democrat versus Republican world you seek to live in - this is the real problem; how do you make money quickly with a radical new idea to sustain large numbers of living wage jobs? How do we convince incumbent firms in very mature industries that they need to change (or completely dissolve) in order to be more successful? It is counter intuitive, perhaps, but it's what needs to happen. It is happening, one way or another.

Answer these questions, for say GM or Chrystler, and then you'll be a real patriot, not just a self-perceived flag waver.

Articles like this infuriate me because they seek only to bash Obama and do not see the larger picture. We need a new picture that describes a vision for sustaining a very old system, that system is life on our planet.

Obama was right about one thing and one thing only, we do need change.

We must also RE-LEARN a very old way. That new way is embodied in the concepts of biomimicry.

Learn to readapt your knowledge, for God's sake, if you will. Biomimicry could mean the end of your one-dimensional world. I really hope so.

--
Andrew J. Blair, EIT, MS ETM
http://www.linkedin.com/in/ajblair

2009-12-28T11:40:00.000-08:00

Another Big Up for Biofuels - DOE starts new innovation hubs

2009-12-28T10:47:00.000-08:00

Fuel from Thin Air: DOE launches “Energy Innovation Hub” for R&D into conversion of sunlight directly into chemical fuels: $122 million funding opportunity – Biofuels DIgest : Biofuels Digest - biofuels, biodiesel, ethanol, algae, jatropha, green gasoline, green diesel, and biocrude daily news

Here comes the Fischer-Tropsch Process - Green Car Congress: French CEA Launches Biomass-to-Liquids Project; Hydrogen Used to Optimize Mass Yield

2009-12-26T16:33:00.000-08:00

Green Car Congress: French CEA Launches Biomass-to-Liquids Project; Hydrogen Used to Optimize Mass Yield

Strategy-Benefits Roadmapping for Tracing Project Business Benefits

2009-12-26T16:05:00.001-08:00

Strategy-Benefits Roadmapping by Walter Adamson (2007) relevant to developing team process

Strategy-Benefits Roadmapping for Tracing Project Business Benefits

View more documents from Walter Adamson.

Old Outdated News (OP ED) - Stimulus news isn’t all good for our region | | The Bulletin

2009-12-26T15:44:00.000-08:00

Stimulus news isn’t all good for our region | | The Bulletin

Aspen PIMS™ - AspenTech - Feedstock Optimization in the Oil and Gas Industry

2009-12-26T15:19:00.000-08:00

Aspen PIMS™ - AspenTech

2009-12-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

We are living in some interesting times whether we like it or not. As my friend and colleague Andrew McKeon (carbonRational) kindly points out "The Conference of the Parties (COP-15) convenes in Copenhagen December 7th-18th to determine if a consensus can be brought about regarding the degree to which:

1. industrialized countries are willing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,

2. developing countries are willing to reduce greenhouse emissions,

3. aid will be available to developing countries from industrialized countries, and

4. this aid will be managed and by whom",

we ponder the significance here in Central Oregon of the immediate future with regard to all this, or at least, what the future may bring (for those not already banking on the Apocalypse). So, its likely that some Oregonians might be thinking “Why should I care?!”.

If carbon becomes a commodity that might matter to the Chamber of Commerce who is lobbying Congress to take up the idea that short-term fossil fuel prices should take priority over longer term economic development via biofuels. That’s right, some of us would rather continue to import petroleum products from the Middle East rather than grow it, produce it, and burn it here, because that makes sense. To Hell with economic diversification, to Hell with sustainability, to Hell with self-sufficiency! Let’s keep those Arabs rich! Let’s buy sustainable technology from the Chinese instead of producing it ourselves! We need cheap gas now! I don’t believe in public transit! I’m trying to retire ASAP! It’s all going to burn anyway!

In terms of making sense all this logic, or lack thereof, requires some further examination of what is at stake. Maybe an examination of the potential that exists with respect to biofuels is a good place to begin. It’s a good place to begin whether you’re a redneck, hippie, or someplace in between. You better bet your sweet bippy!

* What are consumer attitudes regarding biofuels?

Speculatively, prevailing consumer attitudes regarding biofuels will probably endure the current economic downturn, as these attitudes are more rooted in values of sustainability which are akin to the ideals of American self-sufficiency, the American brand of capitalism, and entrepreneurship. Continuing biofuels market growth is a likely result of these prevailing consumer attitudes that have already influenced regional and federal legislation regarding urban smog, greenhouse gas emissions, and minimum fuel standards. Moreover there is evidence that consumer attitudes have begun to favor the idea of producing transportation fuels domestically, instead of importing transportation fuels from the Middle East. Emerging biofuels markets are showing promise of future growth as a result of these consumer attitudes.

* Are biofuels bad for food prices?

No. Ethanol made from corn was an unfortunate and necessary experiment. Not only did we learn that ethanol is not efficient to produce, but we learned that feedstocks should not be food crops. So, what is the solution? Algae. Algae has the potential of realizing a 100% increase in harvestable lipids (fats; triglycerides necessary for biofuel production).

*Is ethanol better than biodiesel?

Products now available to consumers at the pump are blends of ethanol or biodiesel with conventional gas or diesel, respectively.Unlike pure ethanol (E100), pure biodiesel (B100) is already a significant replacement fuel in many markets due to its capacity to adapt to existing domestic vehicles (diesel burning internal combustion engines). Biodiesel is a top candidate because engines which burn diesel already have better mileage, and their emissions profiles are cleaner when compared to ethanol-compatible engines. However, second generation biofuels more akin to biodiesel are emerging, but have yet to attract enough attention. Technical barriers and market barriers exist blocking the adoption of second generation biofuels, let alone all biofuels, not the least of barriers is the need for integrated cooperation and coordination of American car manufacturers, biofuels producers, and government. These players are all needed to successfully commercialize biofuels.

* Can biofuels replace petroleum?

There is no question that biofuels can replace petroleum, but growing energy demands and overcoming other barriers necessitate a smooth transition between the two. So, it is only natural that now we are seeing biofuel blends becoming more ubiquitous. In time these blends are increasingly likely to include less petroleum.

* Are biofuels “green”?

No, not yet. Biofuels are becoming green-er. Biofuels, including biodiesel and ethanol, require reagents that are petroleum derivatives, i.e. hexane and methane. Hence “greenwashing” biofuels is a necessary and easy move for all incumbent petroleum producers.

* Can biofuels be green?

Yes. Biofuels becoming “green” means not using petroleum derived reagents in the production process. So far, it’s possible to replace hexane and methane with ethyl acetate (EA). EA is derivative product of cellulosic ethanol production. Zeachem will produce EA at there newly proposed demo plant in Eastern Oregon. EA is the primary reagent of TBK Biodiesel, a second generation biofuel that has the potential to completely replace petro-deisel with a truly green sustainable biofuel.

Inductive versus Deductive - an important distinction for learning processes

2009-11-24T17:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/dedind.php

An important part of the learning process; what will be optimal biofuel feedstocks and production processes?

2009-11-19T14:58:00.000-08:00

This seems like a great potential opportunity.

Sustainability Mapping?, whatever you want to call it...

2009-11-16T13:51:00.000-08:00

http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aveus.com%2Fideas_and_tools%2Fgreen_means_green%2F

ZeaChem and TBK Biodiesel - a good match for Sustainable Biodiesel Production in Oregon!!!

2009-11-04T13:31:00.000-08:00

We need two things to make this work:
A sustainable and economically viable source of EA & Triglyceride.

Looks like we may have the EA covered! Go Oregon!

My sources of excitement (see links below).
http://eastoregonian.com/main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48&ArticleID=99642
http://www.zeachem.com/

Follow opinions of BD Hot Biofuels, Feedstocks, and Processing Tech

2009-10-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

Biofuels Digest Survey

Great Oilgae Report Summarizes Algae Energy Tech

2009-10-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

This is definitely worth having a look at for purposes of TRM. What a great source of information on algae technologies!

PICMET 2009 - TBK Biodiesel Roadmapping

2009-09-30T21:45:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

PICMET 2009

View more presentations from blairaj.

TBK Biodiesel plans to conduct Technology Roadmapping for Commercializing in the U.S.

2009-09-27T12:23:00.001-07:00

TRM to commercialize TBK BIODIESEL in the US

Investors and entrepreneurs who are interested in biofuels that make economic and ecologic sense recognize the shortcomings of biodiesel as a replacement fuel. These same investors and entrepreneurs are also aware that these same shortcommings, when overcome by technological advancement, make the potential for new biofuels, e.g. improved biodiesel, all the greater. Internationally innovative proprietors are creating greener processes that are making biofuels much more widely adoptable. Meet TBK Biodiesel.

Photo: Hungarian Inventors ("Feltalálók") of TBK Biodiesel from left to right: Bela Boros, Janos Thesz and Zoltan Kiraly, taken at the presentation of the "Invention of the year" in 2007 in Hungary.

TBK Biodiesel is a biofuel product that is made from a process that is ideal for larger scale production not only because the production process is green, but because the end product is a superior liquid transportation fuel whose adoption will eliminate the “glycerol glut”. The TBK Biodiesel production process is being earmarked as a technology platform that will make the adoption of biodiesel in the US more ubiquitous, as it is becoming more widely adopted internationally as an economically viable and sustainable replacement fuel.

With the TBK Biodiesel production process there is now a shift away from transesterification to interestification. Interestification is an extremely important step toward producing sustainable biofuel exhibiting greatly improved fuel properties with the added benefit of the fuel being derrived from a process that is relatively greener (not utilizing fossil fuel derrivatives) and more efficient (no byproducts). The TBK Biodiesel fuel product and the process from which it is derived are becoming exceedingly attractive to venture capitalists who still believe in the potential of commercializing greener biofuels.

TBK Biodiesel production technology is now being made available for the first time to biodiesel producers in the US who are interested in scaling-up the proven production process that has already received several prestigious international awards.

“OK, I would be satisfied with only $5M dollars for scaling up the thing to an industrial scale...” says proprietor Janos Thesz.

Important Technological Drivers Improving the Potential for Sustainable Biodiesel Production

For improved biodiesel to emerge in a more dominant way within the global marketplace R&D initiatives are rightly aiming at modifying oil producing organisms (algae in particular) so that minimal processing of the raw feedstock is required, as the associated cost of feedstock processing is historically too large to make production economically viable. In order to achieve the “green” and “sustainable” ideals touted by biofuel advocates the process of producing biofuels cannot utilize fossil fuel derivatives, e.g. methanol, and it cannot depend on food crops. The TBK Biodiesel production process does not use methanol and may use any oily feedstock, including algae oil, when commercially available.

With respect to the extractable portion of the harvestable bio-oil (algae) feedstock being produced achieving goals of a more sustainable process at a molecular level means accomplishing two things:

reducing the relative fraction of longer hydrocarbons in the triglyceride molecules, and

increasing the relative fraction of double bonds on the hydrocarbons of the triglyceride molecules.

Synthetically, TBK Biodiesel accomplishes this through a process of “partial interestification” using ethyl-acetate produced from cellulosic ethanol. This is in marked contrast to transesterification still used by most producers of biodiesel which uses methanol derived from fossil fuels, while producing glycerol, a superfluous byproduct. Ethyl acetate (i.e. its moieties) become partially incorporated into the fuel, thus affording a 1: 1.15 - 1.2 conversion of feedstock to fuel (this being 1:1 with conventional biodiesel). Moreover ethyl acetate is capable of extracting oil from algae (or from any oil-bearing crop), contrary to methanol (and ethanol), and upon adding of catalyst to this oil extract, the TBK reaction is started. So the conventional, much disliked and costly hexane-extraction step -- heavily relied upon by potential algal oil producers as well -- may well be forgotten for good.

A Gaping Market Gap for Sustainable Biofuel Production

Obviously, to some, there is a notable gap in the biofuel market place. Until photosynthetic organisms are made into suitable biofuel production factories without any need of mass energy consumption for production purposes (except for the sunlight, extraction of the biofuel directly from the organism itself, and then getting it into the fuel tank) there will be a market gap. That market gap will be filled by proprietary chemical processes that take less than suitable triglycerides and turn them into pump ready biofuel that has improved properties with respect to what is available to the biofuel consumer today, not to mention improving on the widely touted “sustainability” criteria.

Process efficiency is most important for biofuel producers looking to gain competitive advantages. Producers will gain these advantages by adopting new production technologies, like the TBK Biodiesel process, which enables significant cost reduction, improved fuel quality simultaneously. Reducing costs of production, making production more efficient (greener), and producing superior fuel qualities has been, and will be The Gap by which biofuel producers will gain competitive advantage. Again meet TBK Biodiesel.

Plugging the Gaping Technology Gap – TBK Biodiesel

TBK Biodiesel is the product of three Hungarian researchers who have made significant progress in plugging The Gap. They have eliminated the glycerol glut problem while reducing the energy required for biofuel production using “partial interestification”. Essentially partial interestification is a chemical process reacting oils, not with methanol, but with esters of short-chain carboxylic acids, so that a mixture of fatty-acid-alkyl-esters and modified triglycerides results; a proprietary product via a proprietary chemical pathway. All of this makes the TBK Biodiesel product and process a top candidate for scale-up production trials, particularly with respect to the 2009 Recovery Act incentives being made available to US biofuel producers.
These renegade international innovators from Hungary have filed international patents protecting their fuel and technology and are currently seeking investors to scale up their production process in the US. Their process has already won numerous international awards, and it is scientifically, and legally bonafide.

A major interest of the proprietors is to conduct technology roadmapping (TRM) to develop a drop-in industrial scale technology to fit into existing biofuel production facilities. TRM coupled with a technology transfer process will enable this technology and the fuel it produces to become a top replacement fuel. The potential of TBK Biodiesel as a replacement fuel should draw the attention of the most pragmatic biofuel investors. TBK Biodiesel is an important step forward toward producing economically viable green and sustainable biofuel that is commercially viable, and it is about time!

Major benefits of the Hungarian processing technology (TBK Biodiesel) and the fuel that is produced from it includes:

the simplicity of its chemistry,

the eco-friendly nature of its efficient manufacturing process that eliminates the glycerol bi-product stream (reducing the “glycerol glut” problem),

reduction of exhaust gas/particulate matter owing to the fuel’s higher internal oxygen content,

economic efficiency TBK Biodiesel brings with respect to conventional biodiesel production having lower investment costs as there is no need for glycerol-phase equipment, and

superior fuel properties of lower gelling making it widely usable during winter months.

Please contact Andrew Blair (blairaj@gmail.com) with further inquiry regarding TBK Biodiesel scale-up in the US.

Please also see the following website for further information regarding TBK Biodiesel: http://www.algaebiofuel.com/.