Biofuels Catalysts

The production of biofuels is expected to increase significantly over the next several years, as global demand for the reduction of CO₂ emissions and dependence on conventional oil continues to rise.

The increased demand for innovative biofuels is prompting fuel producers to look for alternative sources of feedstock that are more sustainable.  For example, sugars and starches can be used for the production of ethanol while animal fats and vegetable oils can be used in the production of biodiesel.  Alternative feedstocks include bio-degradable wastes, aquatic biomass such as algae and seaweed, and biomass such as wood, bagasse, corn stover and grasses.

In response to increased demand for alternatives fuels, Albemarle has developed a line of catalyst that will facilitate the production of biofuels from biomass.  These catalysts make up our GoBio^TM portfolio.

Among our GoBio products, Albemarle offers catalytic solutions for renewable diesel and biodiesel production using two primary processes. In the first process, vegetable oils and fats are reacted with methanol to produce fatty acid methyl-esters (FAME or biodiesel). This process utilizes our new  heterogeneous products, GoBio TS-15 or T300.

In the second process, vegetable oils and fats are converted into paraffin via a refinery-based hydrotreating process.  The process also utilizes a heterogeneous catalyst which leads to significant process improvements.   Albemarle’s heterogeneous catalysts have been successfully used in the NExBTL® process, a process developed by Finnish oil company Neste Oil.  The first commercial NExBTL units are now in operation and are producing high quality renewable diesel.

We also interact with a diverse group of companies to investigate their specific biomass conversion needs. In addition to oil companies, these organizations include technology providers and engineering firms.

Albemarle’s portfolio of biofuel catalyst is provided below.