Thar gets $2 million biodiesel grant
There’s gold in them Thar Technologies. Or funding at least, with a $1.9 million National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Advanced Technology Program (all names used in this blog post are entirely non-fictional) grant going to the company this week.
Thar will use the cash to develop its green biodiesel technology tech with high pressure processing, known as supercritical fluid technology (it says here).
Despite biodiesel production increasing in recent years, inefficient, pollution-prone processes using hexane, an EPA-designated hazardous air pollutant, to extract oil from oilseeds inhibit biodiesel from becoming a serious alternative to conventional diesel fuel. Thar will replace hexane with high pressure carbon dioxide.
Dr. Lalit Chordia, CEO of Thar, said “Thar’s green technology requires less energy per unit of production and integrates several post-extraction steps into one continuous, efficient process. Cost-effective biodiesel for mass production is finally on the horizon.”
Successful development of the technology will profitably produce biodiesel directly oilseed feedstock while reducing energy consumption and eliminating environmental hazards and the need for production subsidies. The by-products of this technology also have a higher value, making the process very competitive and efficient.
