| IESE will anchor and host the R&D work in a dedicated center within NTU. This research center will provide the support needed for the production process as well as to make Singapore a true hub for biofuel production and a leading R&D center on bioenergy.
The key objectives of the research plan are to:
1) continuously improve overall efficiency of the production process;
2) enhance the company to broaden its scope of business;
3) enhance its long term competitiveness and environmental sustainability.
The ultimate aim of the R&D work is to enable company to become the leading technology based biodiesel company as well as Jatropha feedstock supplier for Singapore and beyond.
It is anticipated that research work will be carried out in the following tasks:
Task I: continuously improve and enhance the overall efficiency of the enzymatic conversion process, or any other process adopted.
Task II: develop new sources of the enzyme used for the conversion of crude oil to biodiesel.
Task III: broaden the feedstock options.
Work will include the development of high yield Jatropha plants, technologies that will enhance plantation operations and exploring other sustainable sources such as marine algae and yeast.
Task IV: improve the yield of the 1, 3 PDO from glycerin by product.
1, 3-propanediol (1, 3 PDO) is a valuable chemical material and could be co- polymerized with terphthalic acid (or methyl ester) to form polytrimethylene terephthalate when purified, it could be sold as feed to PTT producers.
Task V: conduct life cycle analysis of the entire biodiesel production process.
It is imperative that the proposed biodiesel process be accountable in terms of the overall carbon profile and net carbon emission associated with each of the step in plantation, extraction, conversion and transportation.
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