A Louisiana biodiesel plant that needs intense heat to turn animal fats and waste materials into the green fuel has chosen a Texas company that specializes in the process control system that uses hydrogen to create the heat needed.

Biodiesel Magazine reports that the 75-million-gallon-a-year Dynamic Fuels renewable diesel plant… a 50-50 joint venture between Tyson Foods Inc. and Syntroleum Corp… currently under construction in Geismar, La. will use automation and process control technology designed by Emerson Process Management of Austin, Texas:

“This is a hydrotreating plant, which involves high temperatures, high pressures and catalytic reactors, in addition to handling hydrogen gas,” said Jeff Bigger, president of Syntroleum. “So process controls are very important.”

Emerson’s PlantWeb digital plant architecture, which will be integrated into the Dynamic Fuels facility, networks an automation system and predictive maintenance software with smart devices installed throughout the operation, including control valves, flow meters and temperature transmitters. But for Emerson this is not unfamiliar territory—the company has worked with Syntroleum since 2000 when they outfitted a pilot syngas plant. “We have a long relationship with them,” Bigger told Biodiesel Magazine. “They have a very robust system, they’re very cost competitive and have a design that can be exported to other locations. That’s one of the things we get with this system—it’s scalable.”

The plant is about half done and projected to start operations in 2010.