BP’s advanced biodiesel supply in India a step closer

Advanced renewable fuels and chemicals company Aemetis has announced that its Indian subsidiary has completed the construction of an advanced biodiesel pre-treatment unit to supply biodiesel to oil giant BP.

Constructed by Universal Biofuels, Aemetis’ Indian subsidiary, the new facility will process low-cost feedstocks supplied to it under the BP Singapore supply agreement into ‘low carbon high-quality distilled biodiesel’.

According to a statement from Aemetis, the new pre-treatment unit allows the use of high quality Free Fatty Acid waste feedstocks while also meeting international fuel standards.

In May 2017, Universal Biofuels signed a three year supply agreement with BP Singapore, BP’s regional trading arm. As part of a strategy to transition to a low-carbon future, BP has a growing low carbon biofuels portfolio.

 

International markets

“The completion of the advanced biodiesel pre-treatment unit enables the team to focus on commissioning and processing BP’s low-cost feedstocks provided under the BPS supply agreement to produce and sell low carbon high-quality biodiesel into international markets,” said Eric McAfee chairman and CEO of Aemetis.

“We expect to receive feedstock and begin production in April with shipments to BPS to begin in the second quarter of 2018.”

Situated in Kakinada. Andhra Pradesh, India, the plant has a capacity of roughly 50 million gallons per year and is the first and only India biofuels producer approved under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard for delivery of biodiesel into California.

In April 2017, Aemetis filed a patent on the technology developed at the Kakinada plant for the conversion of waste feedstocks in biodiesel.