Refining
The eight Biodiesel refineries will be located close to the current oil refining sites around the UK. This is to facilitate the blending of Biodiesel with traditional diesel produced at the refineries. The blended product can then be distributed around the country using the existing diesel distribution networks.
The refineries will be supplied by the rapeseed oil produced in the oil extraction plants, the process reacts this oil with methanol in the presence of a sodium hydroxide catalyst to produce the Biodiesel. The quantity of Biodiesel produced will be sufficient to replace approximately 2% of the DERV diesel currently consumed per anum in the UK. Caustic glycerol is produced as a by-product during the reaction; this glycerol is 95% pure and as such can be sold for use in a variety of industries.
The flow chart given below illustrates the process used in the Biodiesel refinery with more detailed explanation of the key stages also being given.
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As part of the project a detailed design for a biodiesel refinery was produced, the image above shows the outside layout of the refinery.
