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Northwest Missouri Biofuels producing 15 million gallons annuallyMissouri Northwest Missouri Biofuels, located in St. Joseph, recently completed an expansion allowing them to produce 15 million gallons of biodiesel per year. At a time when other biodiesel facilities in the Midwest are suspending production due to financial constraints, this facility has been able to expand. One key to Northwest Missouri Biofuel's ability to run has been using a lower cost feedstock--animal fat. "As a biodiesel feedstock, animal fat presents greater challenges due to its variability in quality and chemical make-up from truckload to truckload," remarked Pat Lappe, COO of Progressive Energies, Inc., the company retained by Northwest Missouri Biofuels to manage the facility. "With our quality control processes and experience with this product, we are able to procure sufficient feedstocks and produce a consistent end product meeting ASTM specifications." Animal fat has been the sole feedstock for Northwest Missouri Biofuels for most of February, all of March, and will be into the future. "Quality control becomes absolutely critical, from delivery of the feedstock through production," Lappe explained. "There is, no doubt, an art to making biodiesel from animal fat and we combine that with a lot of technical analysis." The animal fat used as a feedstock at Northwest Missouri Biofuels is not waste grease, such as recycled cooking oil. The plant is also configured to produce biodiesel from other feedstocks including the more traditional vegetable oils such as soy oil. Northwest Missouri Biofuels continues to seek opportunities for innovation at their facility. Focusing on further uses for glycerin--a co-product of biodiesel production - is a priority for Northwest Missouri Biofuels. "Progressive Energies is performing an engineering study on the best method to process glycerin," Lappe said. Progressive Energies, headquartered in Leawood, Kan., provides management services to Northwest Missouri Biofuels as well as additional services to the biofuels industry. "Progressive Energies helps mitigate risks, putting our staff's experience to work for you no matter the size or stage of your project," Lappe explained. "The principals of Progressives Energies work directly with you. Because the company is not tied to any business model or technology, Progressive Energies' customers benefit from independence and a personal commitment to helping clients succeed in a challenging business climate." Progressive Energies can be reached by calling 913-402-6016 or by visiting www.ProEnergies.net.
Date: 5/1/08
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