February 4, 2011
Flint Hills Resources recently closed on an equity investment in Benefuel, Inc., a company that has developed a technology that could dramatically improve the cost effectiveness of biodiesel production.
“We believe this technology has the potential to efficiently expand the range of low cost feedstocks used in biodiesel production,” said Jeremy Bezdek, managing director of innovation for Flint Hills Resources. “As part of our agreement with Benefuel, the company will build and operate an integrated pilot plant to prove its innovative process.”
“Benefuel has developed a novel and patented catalytic process called ENSEL™ for refining renewable feedstocks into a variety of high-margin products,” said Robert Tripp, chief executive officer for Benefuel. “Our biorefinery model updates 75-year-old chemistry with capital-light manufacturing to provide a truly disruptive process for next-generation renewable fuel and industrial chemicals production.”
The ENSEL process combines esterification of free fatty acids and transesterification of triglycerides into a single process, which is a long-standing technology goal of the biodiesel and oleochemical industries.
Bezdek will join the Benefuel board of directors. Benefuel will operate the integrated pilot plant, which will most likely be located in Texas.