Blue Sun forms alliance with Applied Research Associates to develop renewable fuel demonstration facility

Renewable fuel developer and marketer Blue Sun has formed an alliance with Applied Research Associates (ARA) to design, construct and operate a demonstration system with a Bio-fuels Isconversion Process that produces 100% drop-in renewable jet, diesel, and gasoline.

The two companies will employ the ARA and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG)-developed process to produce certification quantities of renewable fuels.

Proposed to be located in St. Joseph, Missouri, the demonstration plant is expected produce sufficient quantities of the fuel to meet certification standards in the US.

Commenting on the developments Blue Sun CEO Leigh Freeman remarked that the objectives of the collaboration are consistent with those of the Department of Defense (DoD), which is to increase the production of alternative fuels for deployment for military purposes.

"The skill sets and experience of Blue Sun and ARA cover all aspects required to deliver renewable jet and diesel at DoD cost targets, on DoD timelines," said Freeman.

Blue Sun also announced the securing of a license agreement with CLG for use of the BIC to produce fuels that meet the necessary American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) requirements for 100% replacement of renewable jet fuel and diesel at the company’s bio-refineries and joint ventures worldwide.

ARA’s Biofuels program manager Chuck Red noted, "The hundred barrels-per-day demonstration system will be capable of producing large fuel samples, a key enabler for ASTM certification of our fuels."

The demonstration facility is expected to be unveiled by the end of March 2013 and will be operational by the September of the same year.

ARA, CLG, US Air Force Research Laboratory, Agrisoma Biosciences and National Research Council Canada had earlier executed a pilot on the first civilian jet flight to-be operated on 100% bio-fuel – ‘ReadiJet’ produced from Agrisoma’s Resonance feedstock employing ARA and CLG’s BIC.