Porto, Portugal – January 4, 2013: Incbio, a leading Portuguese engineering company, who specializes in state of the art fully automated industrial ultrasonic Biodiesel plants, has just secured an agreement to supply DC Biofuels with a 7.5 million gallon per year (28.000 MT/year) Biodiesel plant. 

It will incorporate Incbio’s ultrasonic reactors, as well as solid catalyst acid esterification technology, to produce Biodiesel from used cooking oils with up to 25% FFA, collected from restaurants and food outlets in Washington DC. 

The deal will see DC Biofuels obtaining one of the most advanced Biodiesel plants in the US, utilizing technology that is both innovative and widely proven in Biodiesel production plants globally. Incbio has recently introduced solid catalyst technology for acid esterification of high FFA feedstock into its plants, result of many years of research by one of the leading chemical manufacturers in the world and widely proven in industrial applications. 

The deal has been closed by Incbio and DC Biofuels, through mediation and support from International Procurement Tools (IPT), which proved instrumental throughout the negotiation stages. 

DC Biofuels processing facility will be located in Washington DC, and the company plans to collect and process locally-sourced, waste vegetable oils (WVO) into high-quality biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) and sell the fuel to local centrally fueled public and private  fleets. The DC Biofuels Project has obtained strong support – across the entire National Capital Region (“NCR”).). The NCR comprises the third largest metropolitan area in the United States and one of the most prosperous. DC Biofuels has consummated WVO feedstock sourcing agreements with local, regional and national contractors.  

Incbio and DC Biofuels expect the plant to be complete by late Q3 early Q4 of 2013. 

High FFA Feedstock

Incbio is revolutionizing the way the Biodiesel market is evolving, by ensuring complete flexibility of feedstock, helping struggling plants back onto profitability. Using our heterogeneous catalyst based multi-feedstock technology, industrial units are able to convert a wide range of raw materials into high quality Biodiesel, exceeding the strict standards of EN14214 and ASTM D6751. This includes crude vegetable oils to waste materials and by-products such as used cooking oil (UCO), animal fats, distilled Free Fatty Acids (FFAD), Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD), Trap Grease oil, etc. Our process can handle up to 100% FFA.

The technology is proven in a commercial setting, with plants up to 100,000MT (30M gallons) per year already operating continuously, on feedstock with up to 90% FFA. As with all heterogeneous catalysts, care must be taken so the conversion beds are not fouled, typically reactive contaminants, polymers and phospholipids. But, as long as the appropriate pre-treatment of the feedstock is carried out, the plant will run seamlessly, from 1 year up to 3 years without replacing the catalyst.

To complete a state of the art plant Incbio can also supply biodiesel distillation and glycerine purification modules, ensuring the plants are “future proofed”, even as standards tighten the plant will still be exceeding the specification. 

About DC Biofuels

DC Biofuels was founded in Washington, D.C. in 2010.   The company produces biodiesel from several sources of feedstock (yellow/fryer grease, brown/trap grease, chicken fat); collects the grease from institutions, restaurants, and hospitals; blends the biodiesel for appropriate mixtures for diesel vehicles, use in power production and bioheat for residences; and sells the product to state, local and federal governments and companies with large fleets.

DC Biofuels takes a fresh approach to converting biodiesel.  The company provides a solution for the renewable fuels gap to assist in the reduction in carbon emissions, reduction of use of fossil and foreign fuels and the creation of “green jobs”.