Producers turn waste into profit

An electrochemical process developed by scientists at a Loughborough University spin-out company in the UK has enabled biodiesel producers to turn waste into profit – while slashing emissions and energy use.
The R3V Tech team, headed by chemistry experts Dr Adriano Randi and Professor Benjamin Buckley, have developed a process that converts crude glycerol – a low-value byproduct of the biodiesel industry – into a high-value bio-derived solvent as a fuel additive.
The company is currently scaling its laboratory-based process from gram-scale experiments to kilogram-perhour production and it has recently been awarded an Innovate UK grant to build and trial a pilot demonstrator at a biodiesel plant.
“I saw this project as a big opportunity to work on something that can make a difference to the planet, the environment and society,” said Dr Randi, CEO and co-founder of R3V Tech. “I’d like to see every biodiesel company using this process one day and to leave behind a legacy that helps the next generation.”

What currently happens to crude glycerol

For every tonne of biodiesel that is produced, around 100 kilograms of crude glycerol is generated.
As it is contaminated with leftover chemicals and impurities from fuel production, crude glycerol is difficult to recycle.
As a result, most biodiesel producers sell it cheaply to companies that refine it and often use the refined material to produce solketal – a bio-derived solvent and fuel additive with an estimated global market value of $78 billion (€66 billion).
Not only does this come at a cost to biodiesel producers, but it also comes at a cost to the planet, as it involves shipping crude glycerol – often overseas – which generates emissions and current refining methods are highly energyintensive, requiring high temperatures and pressures.
R3V Tech’s electrochemical process will enable biodiesel producers to convert crude glycerol directly into high-value solketal on site, eliminating refining costs, even at small scale and allowing them to use it or sell it for profit. It removes the need to transport the by-product to other facilities, reducing transport emissions and the Loughborough team’s process operates at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, cutting both energy consumption and operational costs.
The process also utilises waste carbon dioxide, further reducing the environmental impact of refining crude glycerol.

How R3V Tech’s process works

The conversion process begins by filtering crude glycerol and mixing it into a prepared solution, which is then saturated with carbon dioxide.
This mixture is drawn through an electrochemical reactor, where electricity drives a chemical reaction that transforms the waste material into solketal, which is then collected in liquid form.
“By integrating this new system, biodiesel producers can create a new revenue stream, reduce waste transport and processing emissions and make their operations more sustainable,” said Dr Randi. “R3V Tech’s motto is ‘Reduce, Reuse, Revalue’ and this captures the spirit of the innovation: empowering producers to refine their own byproducts and boost profitability while contributing to a circular, low-carbon economy.”

For more information: Visit r3vtech.com

The post Producers turn waste into profit appeared first on Biofuels International Magazine.