Diversified Energy Corp. Reports Progress with New Bio-Gasoline Production Process

Energy Resource, Jan 9, 2008

ENERGY RESOURCE-9 January 2008-Diversified Energy Corp. Reports Progress with New Bio-Gasoline Production Process(C)2008 JeraOne - http://www.jeraone.com

Diversified Energy Corporation today said that its biofuels production process, called Centia, produced a bio-gasoline fuel very similar to traditional unleaded gasoline during a recent demonstration.

Centia takes any renewable oil input source (e.g. oils derived from agriculture crops, algae, animal fats, waste greases, etc.) and produces transportation fuels that are 1-for-1 replacements for petroleum jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline. The process was developed in 2006 by North Carolina State University (NCSU) and has been licensed exclusively by Diversified Energy.

Fuels produced from Centia could be operated in engines, stored, and distributed in an identical manner to fossil fuels, the company said.

The tests were conducted at NCSU using demonstration reactors, operated under temperature and pressure with a proprietary catalyst developed specifically for the Centia bio-gasoline process.

Starting with an input that mimicked what would have originated as soybean oil, the process generated a fuel closely resembling the carbon number profile and molecular composition of unleaded gasoline. A mass conversion efficiency in excess of 90% was achieved, according to Diversified Energy. Further development, optimization, and testing activities are being planned, including an end-to-end Centia system demonstration to make bio-gasoline, Jet A-1/JP-8 (jet fuel), and renewable diesel.

Dr. Henry Lamb, NCSU professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and lead investigator on the bio-gasoline work, noted that the team "is extremely encouraged with the bio-gasoline results generated to date. With over 243 million vehicles on U.S. roads, with a majority using gasoline, finding an affordable renewable drop-in replacement would be a major achievement. While additional development work is still required, these results emphasize the potential of Centia to produce a variety of second-generation biofuels."

Headquartered in Gilbert, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, Diversified Energy Corporation is a privately held alternative and renewable energy company focused on maturing innovative technologies, developing commercial energy projects, and providing engineering services support to project developers. Principal areas of expertise include biofuels, gasification, and algae production. For more information, visit www.diversified-energy.com.

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