Biodiesel Plant For Argentina Again

 GEA Westfalia Separator Group has received another order for the delivery of a complete biodiesel plant to Argentina. The Spanish engineering office Isolux is the ordering party, which is responsible as main contractor for the construction of the entirely new plant. The plant is operated with an annual capacity of 300,000 tonnes in General Lagos located near the city of Rosario by Louis Dreyfus Commodities, a world-market leader in processing agricultural products. Four years ago, GEA Westfalia Separator Group has already supplied a plant to this location. The entire project of Louis Dreyfus Commodities comprises an investment in the mid two-digit million range.

 Argentina offers favourable conditions for the production of biodiesel as well as an ideal basis for the supply of raw materials. One of the largest soya bean extraction plants in the world is located at the Rosario site - the best condition for quantitative production of biodiesel. In addition, the location on Rio Paraná River with a deep-sea port facilitates the export logistics, providing a direct connection to the Atlantic.

Environmentally-friendly process

GEA Westfalia Separator Group has been dealing with the development of biodiesel plants since 1991, and supplied the first industrial-scale plant in 1996.

 Biodiesel produced by means of the exclusively licensed CD process fulfils all the parameters of the “Biodiesel Standard” and is characterized by excellent quality. Apart from the gums produced by the degumming process and some excess water, the fully integrated process does not produce any waste matter. Thus, environmental pollution is correspondingly low, but the oil yield at relatively low steam consumption is all the higher. The CD process is very well suited for business sizes from 35,000 to 500,000 tonnes per year. The larger the plant, the more economical the process is.

 The new biodiesel plant in Rosario will be operational at the beginning of 2012.