Local biofuel plant takes off

Filbrun Carroll County has an up-andrunning biodiesel plant.

Called Heartland Biofuel, it is located two and a half miles west of Flora, off State Road 18.

The owner, Titus Filbrun, believes it is the first biodiesel plant in Indiana to actually have a product. He said a few others have been built, but are not operating yet.

The Flora plant produces B100, or 100% biodiesel. Its first customer, earlier this month, was Countrymark Cooperative, headquartered in Indianapolis. Countrymark supplies local coops, and blends 2% biodiesel in all its diesel fuel.

Heartland Biofuel has sold five semi-loads so far, or a total of about 35,000 gallons.

The plant was built last August, testing started in October, and production began this year in February.

The operation runs 10 hours a day and produces three batches or 1,500 gallons daily. Production is semi-automated, but one of Filbrun's goals is to become fully automated.

Filbrun, who has an engineering background, set up the operation, learned the chemistry involved, and designed the equipment. Then he turned over the running of the plant to Ron Fritz, plant manager, and Rodney Hufford, a high school senior who comes in after the first shift.

Filbrun Fritz Larger biodiesel plants have sought the help of the government and engineering firms, which Filbrun says has slowed them down.

"I'm just kind of out here on my own," he said.

He chose to figure everything out himself, both for cost-savings and expediency.

He had an architect design the building, because of required building codes, but he and Fritz did the wiring and plumbing. Some of the plumbing is underground.

He said the whole operation has turned out to be more complex than he had originally thought.

"I've learned what I ought to do," he said. "The trick is making the equipment do what you want it to do."

Filbrun said if he was producing biodiesel for his own use or for off-road, the process would be easier and faster, but there are strict standards if the product is to be sold commercially.

"We tested 15 batches until we got where we were supposed to be," he said.

The ingredients they use are food grade soybean oil, methanol, and catalyst.

Processing room The above photo shows the processing room for glycerol separation in the Heartland Biofuel plant near Flora. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald "A fatty acid (soybean oil) is mixed with an alcohol (methanol)," he explained.

The process involves heat, pressure, multiple reactions, and filtering. The finished product is methyl esters, with a byproduct of glycerol. Filbrun said there is a low market price for glycerol, used to make soap and other products, because it is so common.

Filbrun said there is no wastewater, emissions are low, and non-hazardous solid waste from the filtering process is taken to the landfill.

To meet EPA, ASTM, and Biodiesel Board standards, Filbrun said the biofuel is tested for 13 different specifications. They currently are using an outside lab, but do have some lab equipment of their own.

Filbrun said he wanted to get in on biofuels early. He said when the big plants are in full swing, his business could curtail, but by then, he predicts there will be more demand.

B100 storage tank Heartland Biofuel is currently producing 1,500 gallons of B100 per day. The biodiesel storage tank and filtration system are pictured above. This summer, the plant intends to increase capacity by adding a larger reactor outside. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald Filbrun said he has always been interested in alternative energy.

He said biodiesel and biodiesel blends are better for the environment because they burn cleaner. Filbrun, age 37, was raised on

a farm, but took a job where he worked at the computer all day. He came back to farming in 2004. "I consider biofuel production

an agribusiness," he said. "We have the product. Why not move it on out to the market instead of letting someone else do it?"