Western Biofuels develops new high-energy nitrile biofuel from biomass, aims for 1.4 Mgy demonstration plant

In Florida, Western Biofuels announced that independent tests had validated the usability of a new type of biofuel, called HEBF (High Enthalpy Bio Fuel, or High Energy Bio Fuel), a nitrile biofuel as oppose to an ester-type biofuel such as FAME (fatty acid methyl ester, or biodiesel). The company said that it plans to build a 1.4 Mgy demonstration plant in Guatemala.

According to a paper submitted last year in High Enthalpy Biofuels: “The most disappointing feature with FAME is its enthalpy deficiency, having only 85 to 88% of petro-diesel’s energy.  Esters are inherently energy-poor relative to alkanes,… A Second Generation BioDiesel is underway1, and centers on decarboxylation of fatty acids, whose products are a combination of hydrocarbons, without any glycerin side product being mentioned.  Catalytic cracking of triglycerides, including palm oil, has produced liquid fuels and chemicals. The patent literature also discloses thermal cracking of triglycerides followed by hydrotreating.  Instead, [HEBF] is a synthetic approach, centered on production of energy-rich aliphatic nitriles and no loss of carbon…achieving heats of combustion as high as those found in petroleum-derived diesel fuels.”

Western Biofuels told Biomass magazine that it has no feedstock restriction, and consistently produces a 5 percent naptha fraction, 10 percent bunker fuel and 85 percent low-sulphur, low gel point renewable diesel.

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