Evonik breaks ground on catalyst plant for biodiesel production

German specialty chemicals producer Evonik Industries has broken ground on a 60,000 ton per year (TPY) catalyst plant for biodiesel production in Puerto General San Martín in Argentina’s Rosario metropolitan area. The detail engineering of the plant is already complete, the company said. Evonik will be part of a site where Terminal 6 S.A. operates a major biodiesel plant. “We will complete the plant construction without undue delay to ensure that our South American customers will soon have access to our high-quality, locally produced catalysts,” says Jan Van den Bergh, head of Evonik’s Advanced Intermediates Business Unit. Evonik has many years of experience and proven knowledge in the manufacture of catalysts for biodiesel production. The company started up a plant in Mobile, Alabama, U.S.A., with an annual capacity of 60,000 TPY, in 2009. The plant in Argentina, which is expected to be operational by the end of next year, will supply ready-to-use alcoholates as catalysts for the production of biodiesel. Based on the successful use of the new production technology in the U.S., it will follow the same design type. The technology involves generating alcoholates in a direct reaction of alcohol and lye. Once completed, this plant will supply the South American market. (September 16, 2011)