Pre-Event Site Visit – 9th June

Agropol Group launched its biodiesel plant in Milin in March 2007, investing CZK 100 million. The plant is being built in two stages with the second stage increasing the plant's capacity from the current 35,000 to a projected 70,000 TPA of methyl ester. The methyl ester is produced at the plant is from rape (soya) oil.

On 9th June, delegates will have a unique opportunity to visit the plant, discover lessons learnt and potentially get involved in the exciting 2nd development phase.

The first stage included:

• Factory building for technology
• Technology for capacity 35,000 TPA of methyl ester
• Warehouse with capacity 1,800 t of oil, 1 800 t of methyl ester and 120 t of methanol
• Two places for the methyl ester expenditure to trucks - capacity 60 m3/hour
• One place for the methyl ester expenditure to tank cars - capacity 60 m3/hour
• Complementary attachments (cooling, heat exchange station, air pressure station, fire fighting equipment)

Technology description:

The process uses the soda lye (NaOH) as a catalyser

• Step – oil correction for obtaining right acid value
• Etherification – two steps
• Methanol separation in the vacuum evaporators
• Three steps extraction – two steps with citric acid and one with water
• Water separation from methyl ester in the separator
• Filtration

For more information on the site visit, please contact us