ARIES Biodiesel System Delivered to Naval Base Ventura County

PORT HUENEME, Calif., April 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The first ARIES biodiesel production system has been delivered to Naval Base Ventura County. ARIES is the result of a collaborative effort by the U.S. Navy, Biodiesel Industries and Aerojet to produce a sustainable and reliable renewable fuel, biodiesel, using local resources. Biodiesel is a non-toxic, biodegradable replacement for petroleum diesel and can be used in all diesel engines with little or no modification.

The new system, named ARIES (Automated Real-time, Remote, Integrated Energy System), is a highly automated, transportable biodiesel production unit that can be controlled from a remote location. These features ensure reliable process control and optimal production yields in a sustainable system that can be readily and widely deployed.  

Russell Teall, President and Founder of Biodiesel Industries explained, "Creating truly sustainable systems requires a thorough understanding of every aspect of biodiesel production, from feedstocks to finished products. The Integrated Energy System incorporated into ARIES will eventually allow us to generate our own heat and power, and to feed the surplus into a local micro-grid. These Energy Islands will support the local community with renewable and sustainable fuel, electricity and heat."

A key issue with biofuel production has been the ability to access inexpensive feedstocks that do not compete with agricultural land use or the production of food.  The ability to use locally available non-food feedstocks for biodiesel requires a flexible production process, technical expertise and control not easily associated with small- scale facilities.  However, with ARIES, one data and process control center has the ability to remotely operate hundreds of scalable facilities integrated with next-generation feedstock cultivation, producing billions of gallons of biodiesel per year.  

"Biodiesel Industries' years of advanced work with jatropha, algae and other sustainable feedstocks are critically important to the ARIES platform. Our proprietary methods of feedstock development make ARIES an ideal solution for creating a globally distributed network of biodiesel production facilities," according to JJ Rothgery, Chairman of the Board of Biodiesel Industries.

ARIES incorporates Aerojet's systems control technologies to provide real-time sensing and management of key chemistry and processing parameters. These technologies, coupled with Biodiesel Industries' extensive production database, allow automation of the entire process, resulting in enhanced yields, reliable quality control and personnel safety assurance.  Remote sensing also enables monitoring and operation from a single data and process control center for biodiesel production facilities in numerous locations around the world.  The capacity of the Modular Production Unit (MPU) is 3-10 million gallons per year. The Company has also designed and built a ruggedized 100,000 Mini-MPU for military use.

"Aerojet's decades of automated systems expertise brings multiple benefits to Biodiesel Industries' advanced biofuel processes," said Scott Seymour, president of Aerojet.  "The delivery of this first biodiesel production unit to the U.S. Navy heralds the first in what we hope are a series of successful demonstrations of our ability to deliver efficient and sustainable energy production for military and civilian use."

"ARIES is ready now to be deployed on a global basis.  The ARIES platform fundamentally transforms biodiesel production and makes this possible," explained Michael Cassady, Biodiesel Industries' EVP and Chief Operating Officer.

About Biodiesel Industries, Inc.: Biodiesel Industries is a privately held company which builds, owns and operates biodiesel production facilities, conducts research and feasibility studies, and collaborates with strategic partners to implement new initiatives.  The company and its management have been pioneers in the industry for the past 16 years, with an emphasis on using advanced technologies for the multi-feedstock modular production of next generation biofuels.  Additional information about Biodiesel Industries can be found on the company's website at http://www.biodieselindustries.com.

About Aerojet: Aerojet, a GenCorp Company (NYSE: GY), is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company's extensive real estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies' Web sites at http://www.Aerojet.com and http://www.GenCorp.com.

SOURCE Aerojet