Alumnus Starts Biodiesel Company

November 29, 2007

LSU alumnus Christian Aucoin (BS, ChE, 2001) and three partners have founded a biodiesel company in York, PA - United Biofuels, LLC. Built in 2006, the plant began production in April 2006. Currently, United Biofuels is producing about 1 million gallons per year of biodiesel fuel from a crude soybean oil feedstock.

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from vegetable oils or animal fats. It can be blended with or fully replace diesel fuel in vehicles, burners and heaters. Biodiesel produces a substantially decreased amount of greenhouse gas emissions while providing for improved energy security since it can be grown domestically.

United Biofuels currently provides biodiesel to major fuel distributors for use in transportation systems and service vehicles. Recently, United Biofuels acquired an equity partner in AgriFuel Co. This partnership will allow United Biofuels to expand production to at least 3 million gallons per year by the end of 2007. In addition, United Biofuels is using chemical engineering expertise to develop new technologies in the biodiesel industry, allowing them to reduce their water and energy consumption, sell their byproducts as a secondary profit-stream, and start using unconventional feedstocks.

In order to complete the expansion and take advantage of these new technologies, United Biofuels has hired Benjamin Caire (BS, ChE, 2005) to help optimize the current process and foster several new innovations into maturity.

Article by Melanie McCandless, College of Engineering, 225-578-3242, mmonce@lsu.edu

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