Blue Sun Biodiesel Develops Biodiesel Technology/Plant in the Rocky Mountain Region

---

Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Privately held Blue Sun Biodiesel (Fort Collins, Colorado) is planning to construct a pilot scale biodiesel plant to further develop their technology for producing the renewable fuel and hopes to operate the only commercial scale biodiesel plant in the Rocky Mountains region.

Blue Sun has selected Bratney Companies (Des Moines, Iowa), a design-build and equipment firm serving the agricultural industry, to provide engineering and technical support for the development of a 1.5 million gallon per year pilot scale biodiesel plant.

The company is currently in a site selection mode in Colorado to find a location for the plant that is close to canola oil feedstock and the market area they will serve. The plant will utilize virgin canola oil and other vegetable oil feedstocks in the state-of-the-art continuous transesterfication process to produce ASTM D6751-02 fuel grade biodiesel with refined pharmaceutical grade glycerin as a co-product.

The project is moving forward on a fast track pace and construction of the plant could begin by the Spring of 2003.

Once the pilot scale unit technology and product has been proven successful, the company will seek investors for the construction of the $29 million commercial scale unit that will produce 30 million gallons per year of the renewable fuel and be one of the largest biodiesel plants in the United States.

Construction of the large plant could begin as early as the Summer of 2004.

Founded in 2001, Blue Sun Biodiesel helps farmers, businesses and consumers benefit from the full potential of biodiesel, one of the fastest growing renewable fuels in America today. Blue Sun's goal is to produce high-quality biodiesel in the most energy efficient and environmentally responsible manner. Biodiesel will improve local, regional and national air quality and support U.S. agriculture while strengthening the regional and national economy.