A new solid catalyst could save some green fuel makers some green in their wallets.

Biodiesel Magazine reports that a study of Catilin Inc.’s new T300 solid catalyst process saves biodiesel producers 13 cents a gallon over a traditional catalytic process… and up to 19 cents a gallon if you figure in capital expense savings:

“This thorough analysis validated our T300 catalyst as a real breakthrough in current and future biodiesel production for use with first-, second- and third-generation feedstocks,” said Larry Lenhart, president and CEO.

Catilin is commercializing the research done in developing the new catalyst at Iowa State University in Ames and the U.S. DOE’s Ames Laboratory. The T300 heterogeneous catalyst is nontoxic and can be a direct replacement for conventional catalysts used in biodiesel production. The drop-in solid catalyst operates at industry standard pressures and temperatures and is removed with filtration. As a result, current producers can retrofit their plants in a matter of days at very low cost. Another key advantage is that the glycerin coproduct has purity greater than 98 percent and qualifies as technical grade, which significantly enhances its overall value.

Someone interested in the potential this new solid catalyst holds is biodiesel giant Renewable Energy Group. Officials at the Iowa-based company say they have been closely following the development of the catalyst since work began by a team led by Victor Lin at ISU and the Ames Laboratory.