About Us

» History
» What our vision is
» What we have achieved
» Generic information about biodiesel
» Links

History

 

2001
Andrew Warton (Founder/Managing Director) begins initial research on biodiesel production technology.

2005
August	BlueDiesel Pty Ltd incorporated.

2006
February	$500,000 raised for the construction of a pilot plant.
June	Completion of pilot plant with a 1 million litre per annum output.
July	Commencement of testing Sep Trial of canola oil into biodiesel.
October	Completion of pre-treatment module to allow for high free fatty acid (FFA) feedstock.
November	Successful reduction of FFA in pre-treatment module. Trial of high FFA (crude) coconut oil into biodiesel.
December	Trial of high FFA tallow into biodiesel.

2007
February	Relocation of pilot plant to tallow producing facility.
March	Completion of tallow specific modifications to plant.
April	$500,000 raised for transition from R&D to commercialisation. Trial of mustard oil into biodiese.
May	Trial of refined palm oil into biodiesel.
June	Trial of refined coconut oil into biodiesel.
July to December	Trial of tallow into biodiesel.

^ back to top

What our vision is

BlueDiesel was formed in late 2005 with the vision of becoming a large biodiesel producer in Western Australia using canola as the feedstock using innovative technology produced by the founder Andrew Warton. Formal plans were developed for an 18mlpa plant up-scalable to a 45mlpa with the intention for construction to take place over 2006/07. This plan has since been revised due to undesirable changes in the local and global economic landscape, making large scale biodiesel production in WA unsustainable in the short term.

The new path that has been taken is one of providing a novel, efficient and highly economical technology to the marketplace. It is BlueDiesel’s view that biodiesel isn’t the answer to climate change or replacing fossil fuels, but it is at least an important transitional stepping stone as crude oil stocks diminish. This being the case, there is still a large demand for new biodiesel plants around the world which puts BlueDiesel and its advanced technology in a very exciting position.

^ back to top

What we have achieved

The vision and the strategic goals set by BlueDiesel have hinged on one key element – the technology. The successes of the trials to date, which are evident in the technology white paper click here, have been the major achievement so far.
The pilot plant has produced top quality biodiesel consistently.  Although originally designed to run on canola oil it has processed a wide variety of feedstocks with no modification to the core technology.  With the addition of the pre-treatment module, the pilot plant is able to process an incredibly broad range of materials.
The pre-treatment module itself has been a major success story.  The catalyst used is not BlueDiesel’s own development but the efficient application of this catalyst to the reduction of free fatty acid is a real feather in our cap.
Aside from the development of the technology, our presence in the wider biofuels industry is well recognised.  Kim Chance, the WA Minister for Agriculture, opened the plant in 2006 and Andrew Warton, founder and Managing Director, presented our technology at a national biofuels conference in September 2007.

^ back to top

Generic information about biodiesel

What is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel is chemically altered vegetable oil or animal fat that is suitable for use in a diesel engine.

Why use Biodiesel?
Biodiesel has many advantages, including:

• It has an organic origin which means that there are far less carbon dioxide emissions when compared to using fossil diesel obtained from crude oil.
• It creates less pollution causing emissions (particulates and sulphur oxides).
• It prevents engine wear by having increased lubrication properties.
• No engine modifications are required to use it.

How is Biodiesel made?
Biodiesel is made by reacting vegetable oils or animal fats with an alcohol, in the presence of a catalyst.  Normally the alcohol is methanol and the catalyst is sodium hydroxide (also called caustic soda or lye).  The products of the reaction are biodiesel and glycerine.  The glycerine is separated from the biodiesel and the individual products are then processed to meet appropriate standards for sale.

Download more facts about biodiesel.

^ back to top

Links

• Fuel Standard (Biodiesel) 2003 - Details of the official Australian Biodiesel Standard Determination.
• Biodiesel Association of Australia - The BAA promotes biodiesel in Australia. The web site contains news and numerous links of relevance to Australian producers and users of biodiesel.
• American National Biodiesel Board - The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is the American equivalent of the BAA. Site contains a wealth of information on topics such as technology, economics and politics of biodiesel.
• Australian Oilseeds Federation - AOF represents the common interests of all Australian oilseed industry participants and helps to promote the development, expansion and improvement of Australian oilseed production.
• Biodiesel Magazine - An American Magazine that provides detailed information about biodiesel both within the U.S and Internationally.
  
• Journey To Forever - If you want to dabble in producing biodiesel at home, this is the site for you.
  
• Brisbane Biodiesel - A Website Promoting biodiesel within Australia.
• Profarmer Australia- Australia's leading independent supplier of agricultural news and commodity market information, grain prices, and strategic grain marketing advice.
• BABFO - British Association for Bio Fuels and Oils.
• Biodiesel Use & Handling Guide - A comprehensive set of recommendations for usage and handling of biodiesel. A must read for anybody planning to buy and use biodiesel in large volumes.

^ back to top