Rapeseed to biodiesel – two production steps that we master

The production of biodiesel, a fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), takes place in two steps:

From the plant to oil

After the rapeseed is delivered to our plant it is first cleaned and then dried. It is then pressed in an oil mill to obtain rapeseed oil. Since the addition of a multi-feedstock-unit in 2007 we are capable of also using other raw materials, such as used cooking oil.

From oil to biodiesel

During the second production step the rapeseed oil is refined in a chemical process, also known as transesterification. For this methanol is added, and it is heated together with a catalyst. One rapeseed oil molecule is split into three fatty-acid methyl-ester chains and one free glycerin molecule. The glycerin and methanol swap places. Finally, the now superfluous methanol is removed during a complex purification procedure.