Platts　2007/11/13

Mission to start second Malaysia glycerine plant in Aug '08

Australia's Mission Biofuels Ltd. is building its second biodiesel and glycerine plants in Kuantan, Malaysia, just as its first facilities are starting commercial operations, a company source said Tuesday.

The second pair of plants are slated to come on stream around August 2008. They will initially run on crude palm oil feedstock, switching to jatropha oil about three years later, when Mission's subsidiary in India raises its jatropha oil output.

The second biodiesel plant will be able to produce 250,000 mt/year and support a 23,000 mt/year glycerine plant. When online, they will boost Mission's biodiesel and glycerine capacities at Kuantan to 350,000 mt/year and 33,000 mt/year.

Like the first set of plants, biodiesel from the new plant will be sold as automobile fuel, and the glycerine sales targeted to pharmaceutical companies.

Mission Biofuels is headquartered in Perth, Western Australia. Its shares are listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

November 8 2007 Mission Biofuels

Biodiesel plant operating at nameplate capacity

Mission Biofuels Limited is pleased to announce that the commissioning of its first 100,000 tpa biodiesel plant is progressing extremely well. The biodiesel trans-esterification plant is currently in operation and is producing biodiesel that meets international specifications. The plant has undergone a gradual ramp-up over the last 3 weeks and is currently operating at 100% of its nameplate capacity of 300 tonnes per day (100,000 tonnes per year). Approximately 2,500 tonnes of biodiesel has been produced to-date.
Managing Director, Nathan Mahalingam said, “We are elated that the Crown process technology is working as expected, as this has been the bane of many recent biodiesel plant commissionings using other technologies. Furthermore, achieving 100% nameplate capacity quite effortlessly indicates to me that the plant has more 'grunt' and could perform at higher levels once stabilized.
The Biodiesel produced is clear, shiny and devoid of impurities and particulates.” The plant is also producing commercial grade crude glycerine. So far 250 tonnes have been produced. The glycerine purification plant will be started up once adequate quantities of crude glycerine have been produced which we expect will be in a week's time. Commissioning of the pre-treatment plant is also in progress.
First shipment of 5,000 tonnes Biodiesel has been slated for 15 December 2007 in conjunction with the official opening ceremony of the plant by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia.
“We could ship earlier as we would have built up sufficient quantities within the next 10 days or so, however vessel confirmation lead times dictate an early December shipping date so we thought it appropriate to combine the opening ceremony with the first export shipment.” Nathan added.
There have been no major technical problems; only routine day to day mechanical issues which are not uncommon in commissioning of such plants.

About Mission Biofuels: Mission Biofuels Limited is a company:
・ listed on the ASX but with its operations in Malaysia and India;
・ finalizing the commissioning of a 100,000 tpa biodiesel plant at Kuantan in Malaysia using Crown Iron Works technology;
・ that is building a 250,000 tpa biodiesel plant adjacent to the 100,000 tpa plant using Axens' 2nd generation trans-esterification technology;
・ that will initially use Crude Palm Oil (CPO) as the feedstock for its biodiesel plants in Malaysia;
・ that is rapidly developing its upstream feedstock business in India, which is focusing on a drought-resistant perennial plant (Jatropha Curcas) that grows in marginal/poor soil. Jatropha is easy to establish, grows quickly, produces seeds for over 40 years and importantly is inedible; and
・ that will ultimately replace CPO with Jatropha Oil as its feedstock for its biodiesel plants.

In 1878, Crown began its history of excellence as a black smith shop on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Anthony, Minnesota.
Beginning as a heavy metals fabrication company, and later as a process engineering company with its own proprietary line of equipment, Crown has worked to provide solutions guaranteed to meet customer expectations. It is a corporate attitude that is even stronger today.

Crown's biodiesel production equipment is designed for continuous operation for maximum efficiency and safety. The process is a two stage transesterification reaction followed by ester washing, drying and alcohol recovery. Excess methanol is recovered from all product streams to virtually eliminate discharge to air and water and allow its reuse in the process.

2007/11/12

Mission increases stake in Indian joint venture

Mission Biofuels Limited through its 100% owned Mauritian subsidiary Mission Agro Energy Limited (MAEL), has reached agreement with Indian Agribusiness Systems Pvt. Ltd and Mr Sunil Khairnar to acquire all the shares they own (20% of the issued capital) in Mission Biofuels India Pvt Ltd. This agreement will see Mission’s shareholding in MBIPL increase from 70% to 90%.
Mission Biofuels India is the company that Mission is using to develop its upstream feedstock business that is involved in the production and procurement of Jatropha seeds and oil.
This acquisition by MAEL is subject to the approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board of India and of the Reserve Bank of India.
The acquisition is expected to positively contribute to earnings for the financial period ending June 2008.

jatropha は南アフリカやインドなど広範囲に自生し、乾燥地帯のやせた土地でも生育する。油脂原料としても使用されている。インドではバイオディーゼルの原料として注目されている。

2006/11/24　Sinopec のBio-energy Project