Cetane Energy Completes Construction of Second-Generation Biodiesel Plant in New Mexico

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Investor-owned biodiesel start-up Cetane Energy LLC (Carlsbad, New Mexico) has completed construction of a small second-generation-feedstock biodiesel plant in Carlsbad. Second-generation feedstocks mean a plant is generating the renewable fuel from nonfood feedstock versus traditional vegetable oils or animal fats. Second-generation feedstocks, such as algae, are said to be able to produce more fuel than conventional feedstocks.

A 1-acre pond can generate enough algae to produce 10,000 gallons per year of the renewable fuel whereas when using conventional feedstocks, the yield per acre range falls to 20-50 gallons per acre per year.

During the first couple of months, the 3 million-gallon-per-year Carlsbad plant will utilize vegetable oils and animal fats to produce biofuel. The company is also said to be working with the local nonprofit Center Of Excellence For Hazardous Materials Management (Carlsbad) to supply algae oils. The organization currently has two 0.25-acre algae ponds in operation and is planning to develop a third 1-acre pond early next year. If research and trials go well on the pilot-scale ponds, the company will develop a 100-acre algae pond that could produce enough algae oil to feed the Cetane Energy plant.

Cetane Energy began construction on the estimated $2.8 million Carlsbad plant in May and got the plant online in just eight months. The plant sits just northeast of Carlsbad in Eddy County.

One additional biodiesel plant in Clovis was under construction, Clovis Biodiesel LLC, but the project was put on hold until the group could secure further financing for the plant.

Industrial Info's Ethanol Database provides a comprehensive outline of all current development activities in the emerging alternative fuels market. This database covers 177 ethanol plants in operation and 530 plants under development. It also covers 145 operational biodiesel plants and 245 biodiesel plants under development.

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