Biodiesel in Sweden: Perstorp selects Axens' Esterfip-H technology

Perstorp Oxo has selected Axens to supply the Esterfip-H™ biodiesel technology for a 160,000 ton per year plant to be erected in Stenungsund, on Sweden’s southwestern coast approximately 50 km north of Gothenburg. The plant will be commissioned during the first quarter of 2007, well before the year 2010 goal set by the European Directive concerning biofuels, 2003/30/EC Article 3(1), which targets a 5.75% biofuel content in diesel and gasoline motor fuel pools.

Biodiesel is composed of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) resulting from the esterification of various vegetable oils such as rapeseed, soybean or sunflower oil. The Esterfip-H process was developed by the French Institute of Petroleum (IFP) and is designed and commercialized by Axens.

Esterfip-H represents a major advancement in the area of biofuels as it ensures the production of biodiesel meeting European specification EN 14214, and at the same time directly produces glycerin of unequalled purity. This solid catalystprocess enables a significant reduction in waste streams compared to other processes.