Biodiesel pilot plant showcases Canadian green technology

Hamilton, ON – June 17, 2004 – Biodiesel producer BIOX Corporation says it intends to scale up their existing one-million-litre pilot plant to a 60-million-litre-per-annum facility.

“We have been successfully producing ASTM standard biodiesel at our one-million-litre pilot plant from a variety of feedstocks for well over a year now and it is time to scale up to 60-million litres showcasing this unique Canadian technology," says Tim Haig, the company’s president and CEO.

BIOX’s process is a method for turning any feedstock, including vegetable oils, agricultural seed oils, waste animal fats, greases and recycled cooking oils into ASTM D6751 and/or EN 14214 grade biodiesel fuel at a cost competitive with petroleum diesel.

“Dr. David Boocock, past chairman of the chemical engineering and applied chemistry department, University of Toronto, has transformed the production process through the selection of inert co-solvents that generate an oil-rich one-phase system," says Mr Haig. "This reaction is over 99% complete in seconds at ambient temperatures, compared to previous processes which required several hours. Continuous processes are now feasible and proven."

Sustainable Development Technology Canada, an arm’s length not-for-profit foundation created by the federal government, has approved a $5M contribution in principle towards the development of the BIOX Process, says Mr Haig.