Biodiesel Innovation in Pennsylvania's Northern Tier

Biodiesel is a topic that has not seen a lot of public attention recently, but that could be changing soon, thanks to work by Penn State alum Matt Kropf. Matt, who is now a professor and director of the Halloran Energy Institute at University of Pittsburgh, Bradford, has developed a new, patented method for producing biodiesel that promises to spur a resurgence of the renewable fuel thanks to improved efficiency, lowered costs, and improved environmental impacts.

For those who are not familiar with it already, biodiesel is a bio-based replacement for diesel fuel that can be manufactured from a wide variety of vegetable oils. Biodiesel is very similar to petroleum diesel in many respects, and even out performs petroleum diesel in some critical areas such as lubricity (anti-wear characteristics). Most biodiesel is manufactured by reacting oil with an alcohol (usually methanol) in the presence of a chemical catalyst. In Pennsylvania and in many other states, a small percentage of biodiesel is mandated to be blended into the diesel fuel that is sold (see Penn State Extension fact sheets "What's So Different About Biodiesel Fuel" and "Using Biodiesel In Your Engine").

Matt's patented innovation, which he developed while a graduate student then at Penn State, utilizes microwave and ultrasonic technologies in specific ways that allow the biodiesel to be manufactured using far less energy and much less catalyst to achieve a quality biodiesel product. As a result of this, industrial application of this system promises to reduce the cost of biodiesel production and give biodiesel producers a significant competitive advantage.

To commercialize this innovation, Matt has teamed with Chris Getty of AE Resources - a Pennsylvania company devoted to commercializing alternative energy and chemical production systems. Together they are creating a demonstration facility that promises to produce high amounts of biodiesel at low cost, using a surprisingly small amount of space. "We anticipate that the energy use will be 80% less per gallon of biodiesel with 65% less catalyst needed", notes Getty.  

Their McKean County facility will produce 3-5 million gallons per year of biodiesel using locally produced vegetable oil - likely soybean oil at first. Rather than keeping the system to themselves, they plan to license and sell their technology to existing and new biodiesel manufacturers. Depending on project financing details and plant manufacturing schedules, their plant could be up and running as soon as later this year.  Kropf notes that "as soon as we're producing at scale, and we're demonstrating the benefits we've observed at smaller scales, we should be able to make an economic proposition to any biodiesel producer that it will improve their return on investment."  One of the possible customers, noted Getty, includes "Ethanol plants, that could use their corn oil to produce value-added biodiesel on site."

The environmental impact of this new system is also one of its strengths. Getty noted that "There are no emissions to speak of - with the result that we are exempt from npds or air permit requirements."

What could this mean for farmers in Pennsylvania?  As this biodiesel facility and others like it get off the ground, we are likely to see an increased demand for vegetable oils, which could result in improved prices for traditional oilseeds such as soy and canola, as well as less common crops such as camelina. The increased availability of biodiesel could prompt the Pennsylvania State government to increase the mandated amount of biodiesel in our fuel supply, which in turn could have positive effects on the stability of fuel prices. Economically, this can translate to jobs across the supply chain, and contribute to our region's circular economy, as more and more people are deciding to choose products that can be regenerated and regrown, rather than things that are depleted after they are used.

One of the less obvious benefits is the way that this project is inspiring students to be the next generation of innovators. Matt has noticed that "students are interested in your actual experience, what a patent requires, and what the process involves." One of the big lessons he passes on is that it takes patience and steady dedication to bring a new idea to market. "Naively you think that if you have a great idea, it will just run on its own", when in reality the idea is just the beginning of the process. "At some points its not whether its a good idea and works, but whether you've been able to assemble all the pieces at scale and create a purchasable unit". Now that their efforts are nearing that point, it will be fun to see how it all develops.