Biodiesel enterprises in Shandong are gradually gaining momentum

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Biodiesel enterprises in Shandong are gaining momentum. In recent years, biodiesel has become increasingly popular. However, on a national scale, the large-scale development of biodiesel is often constrained by factors such as the unavailability of raw material resources, a weak foundation for technological industrialization, and an imperfect policy and market environment. However, in recent interviews in Shandong, reporters found that thanks to advances in technology and raw material supply, coupled with rising prices of crude oil and refined products that created market opportunities, biodiesel companies are seeing steady growth in the region. Currently, oil prices in the country are on the rise, with particularly tight supplies of diesel. There have been several instances of a \"fuel shortage,\" leaving diesel vehicles without enough fuel, and gas stations frequently facing shortages of diesel. 'Once all our biodiesel projects are in operation, they will help alleviate the current shortage of diesel. Now, there are many customers who come to make purchases; many of them have been waiting here for days. Not only are there domestic customers, but there are also many foreign customers as well. One Korean customer is particularly urgent in their needs, as Korean law requires that 5% biodiesel be added to regular diesel. Due to the price advantage of our products, this client is even ready to purchase all of them from us. 'A responsible official from Shandong Sanwei Oil Group Co., Ltd. told reporters with joy. The scale of this project is an annual production capacity of 100,000 tons; it is currently in the trial production phase, with full operation expected to begin in March this year. The products will mainly be used to meet the needs of local gas stations. 'The initial idea behind using 3D fat to produce biodiesel was to make use of waste materials and extend the industrial chain. 'The official said, ‘As a renewable energy source, biodiesel is required by certain **laws to be added in amounts of 5% to 15%. Although there are no such regulations in our country yet, as the global trend of energy shortage becomes more apparent, it will be an inevitable trend to incorporate an appropriate proportion of biodiesel. ' Thanks to technological breakthroughs, the scale of biodiesel projects in Shandong Province continues to grow. The scientific and technological research project in Zaozhuang City, titled ‘Research on Key Technologies for Producing Biodiesel from Castor Trees or By-products of Oil Extraction’, which was carried out by the Research Institute of Shandong Quanxing Mining Group, has passed expert evaluation; the results achieved are at the international leading level. According to Du Zongguo, the chief engineer of Shandong Quanxing Mining Group, they have already built industrial biodiesel production facilities with capacities of 10,000 tons and 150,000 tons each, and have decided to construct an industrial facility for producing molecularly combined bioliquid fuels with a capacity of 1 million tons in the Xuecheng Industrial Development Zone of Zaozhuang City. Zhu Qiquan, the chief engineer of Shandong Hua’ao Plant Chemical Group, told reporters that the group has developed a key technical system that enables the production of biodiesel through esterification using plant oil by-products and waste animal fats. It has also invented biodiesel production equipment with independent intellectual property rights, ensuring a safe, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly production process. Tests have shown that all the parameters of the biodiesel produced meet China’s 0# diesel standards, with some parameters even exceeding those of China’s 0# diesel as well as U.S. biodiesel standards. The quality of the by-product glycerin also meets the analytical purity standard. At present, pilot, pilot-scale, and production lines for biodiesel with annual capacities of 600 tons, 3,000 tons, and 10,000 tons have been established. The research results have been put into industrial use in cities such as Qingdao, Beijing, Wuhan, Lianyungang, Linyi, Rizhao, Tai’an, Zibo, Liaocheng, and Weihai, with an annual production capacity of 40,000 tons. Most of the biodiesel projects in Shandong Province use oil by-products, waste oils, or non-edible oils as raw materials. With a large number of oil factories in Shandong, there is an ample supply of such raw materials for these biodiesel manufacturers, and the costs are relatively low. Taking Shandong Sanwei Oil Co., Ltd. as an example, it not only uses its own oil by-products as raw materials but also purchases raw materials from oil factories within the province or in other provinces and cities, in order to ensure a stable supply of raw materials. Shandong Quanxing Mining Group stated that in addition to using local tung trees and by-products from oil extraction, they are prepared to import some oil products from abroad as raw materials should there be an increase in market demand. It is estimated that thanks to the use of advanced processes which **reduce costs**, coupled with the relatively high prices of biodiesel products, it is still economically viable at present to import oils such as palm oil to produce biodiesel. In addition, some companies also have plans to plant oil-bearing crops such as tung trees and Chinese ash. According to incomplete statistics, Shandong Province currently has an annual biodiesel production capacity of over 400,000 tons, with both existing and under-construction facilities. Thanks to thorough consideration of factors such as raw materials, technology, and the market, the reporter observed that their production activities are carried out in an orderly manner, and they are full of confidence regarding future development.