The retrofitting of a Nebraska biodiesel plant is nearly complete, and officials are ready to start testing the equipment for its actual opening. This article from the Beatrice (NE) Daily Sun says the Duonix biodiesel plant is almost ready to go after originally being built in 2007 and bought in 2011 by Flint Hills Resources, which is a subsidiary of Koch Industries Inc., and Benefuel Inc.
Mayor Stan Wirth said the company will begin testing the plant before putting it into operation sometime next year.
“For the past year, they have been retrofitting the plant for the first commercial sale use of their biodiesel technology,” Wirth said. “In preparation of that startup, they will be conducting safety checks on the plant and its equipment over the next couple months.”
According to a letter sent to the company’s “neighbors,” the safety checks may result in a “blowdown,” which is the venting of high-pressure gas or water.
The routine procedure is used to check the integrity of piping work, the letter stated, that produces a sound similar to the roar of a jet engine and may last for a few minutes.
Workers will also test the flare gas recovery system, designed to minimize the need for flaring, a safety mechanism that reduces pressure and maintains balance in industrial systems.