Biodiesel Plant Detailed Design

Project Description

Sacré-Davey conducted a feasibility study to integrate General Biodiesel’s equipment and processes into their existing plant, increasing biodiesel production to 10 million gallons annually. Following successful integration, Sacré-Davey provided comprehensive engineering services to initiate full facility operations. In the design phase, unexpected hazardous classification of two pretreatment reaction vessels posed challenges. Despite initial high-cost solutions, Sacré-Davey proposed a suite of potentially low-cost alternatives, with the client opting for a design featuring a dropped-floor H-Class room. This solution satisfied regulators, met cost expectations, and required minimal schedule adjustment.

Project Scope

In subsequent phases, Sacré-Davey's design allowed for the use of lower-cost feedstocks, staged the plant rebuild for process conversion, and facilitated the transition from batch to continuous processing. Throttling production between 5 and 10 million gallons per year minimized downtime, aligned cash flow with construction costs, and provided flexibility to adapt to market conditions using lower-cost feedstocks.