08.10.2009 Pure biodiesel with no waste streams.
Yellow Diesel B.V. succeeded in producing high-quality biodiesel in a continuous fixed-bed micro plant based on heterogeneous catalysis. This process gives pure biodiesel plus a cosmetics/food grade glycerol, with practically no waste streams. The biodiesel specifications are better than required by the European norm EN14214. The Yellow Diesel process eliminates all the aqueous waste streams that stem from using the conventional homogeneous acid/base catalyst technology. Thanks to the novel catalyst and integrated process design, the process saves up to 40% of the capital costs and 30% of the operating costs compared to a conventional plant. Yellow Diesel has produced the biodiesel in its continuous micro plant, and is now scaling up the process to pilot-scale.

Importantly, this process can be adjusted to various types of feedstock, including low-quality oils, waste oils and fats. The following sample shows the quality specifications of the biodiesel made from industrial-grade rapeseed oil, as determined by the independent laboratory NofaLab.

21.01.2009 Yellow Diesel partner in 1.5 Meuro research project.
The University of Amsterdam, Solarix BV, and Yellow Diesel BV have received a 1 Meuro subsidy for developing new biofuels from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, as part of the EOS KTO program (short term energy research). The funding forms part of a 1.5 Meuro R&D project for synthesizing and commercializing a new type of biodiesel.

Thanks to a novel catalyst and design, the new process optimizes the use of raw materials. It has practically no waste streams. The new biodiesel is cheaper, burns better, and reduces the emission of soot. Importantly, this process can use organic waste oil/fat as feed.

This project is a collaboration between the Heterogeneous Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry group of prof. dr. G. Rothenberg at the UvA, Yellow Diesel BV, a spin-off company of the UvA Holding BV, with the expert on chemical process design dr. A.C. Dimian, and Solarix BV, a leading Dutch biodiesel company established by drs. ing. J.H. Hoitsma and ing. P. van Zwol.

28.03.2008 Microscale production plant installed in Amsterdam.
Yellow Diesel's continuous microscale production plant, capable of producing 100 ml of biodiesel per hour using state-of-the-art heterogeneous catalysis technology, is now installed in the company's laboratories in Amsterdam. Experiments using this multi-feedstock microplant form an integral part of feasibility studies carried out with actual client feedstocks.