Biofuels 22
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Verenium strengthens cellulosic ethanol arm Verenium Biofuels, MA-based biofuel company with interests in ethanol production, is scaling up its demo plant technology to set up a 36 M gallon/y ethanol plant at Highlands County, FL. Presently, the demo plant with production capacity of 1.4 M gallon/y of cellulosic ethanol is situated in LA. Until now, the demo plant has produced a few hundreds gallons of beer which has to be dehydrated to supply to the market. The company plans to supply its ethanol for the blending purpose to BP. Biofuels International, Sep 2009, 3 (7), 4 BP and Martek to make sweet biodiesel BP and Martek Biosciences (Martek), are collaborating to assess the commercial viability of converting sugars into biodiesel for use in the biofuels market. In Martek’s process, biomass is converted into sugar which is fermented to yield lipids by use of a microorganism. These lipids give out fuel molecules after chemical or thermocatalytic processing. Biodiesel produced from renewable feedstocks could deliver greenhouse-gas emission reductions of up to 80-90%, without the need to significantly adjust the energy infrastructure. Biofuels International, Sep 2009, 3 (7), 6 DONG Energy and Inbicon inaugurate large demo plants for 2nd generation biofuel Danish Prince Joachim inaugurated the DONG Energy and Inbicon cellulosic ethanol plant in Kalundborg, Denmark. The plant is one of the world’s first and largest 2nd generation ethanol demonstration biorefineries. Genencor’s Accellerase enzymes are used in the plant’s innovative process for converting straw to fuel. Press release from: Danisco US Inc, Genencor Division, 3490 Winton Place, Rochester, NY 14623, USA. Tel: +1 585 256 5200. Fax: +1 585 256 5265. Website: http://www.genencor.com (19 Nov 2009) Pilot acrolein unit for Nippon Shokubai Nippon Shokubai is to build a pilot acrolein unit using renewable materials as feedstock on its industrial site in Himeji, Japan (which specializes in acrylic acid production) by end 1Q 2011. The aim is to prove the viability of an industrial scale unit making acrylic acid from green acrolein, obtained from glycerol. Glycerol is a by-product of biodiesel production. Thanks to a gas dehydration catalytic process, Nippon Shokubai has developed a technique for using glycerol as the feedstock for acrolein production. This acrolein can then be used instead of propylene in making acrylic acid. Meanwhile the Japanese group has developed a new solid catalyst and a new process for making biodiesel from plant oils. According to Nippon Shokubai, the glycerol by- product from this process is particularly pure, leading to the production of acrolein that does not need to be purified before use as feedstock for acrylic acid. Nippon Shokubai’s project is part of a programme with the Japanese agency NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) which was established to develop alternatives to oil. Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 23 Nov 2009, (487), 6 (in French) Chemrec granted $70 M to build biorefinery at Swedish pulp mill Biofuel producer Chemrec AB has received a $70 M grant from the Swedish Energy Board to build a 40 M gallon/y renewable fuel biorefinery in Ornskodsvik, Sweden, that will produce BioDME (dimethyl ether) and BioMethanol via a black liquor gasification process. Black liquor is produced during pulp production. The plant will be consolidated into Domsjo Fabriker’s pulp mill. Chemrec’s entrained-flow, high-temperature process that attains a complete char conversion in a single phase forms a syngas that can be transformed into second-generation renewable motor fuel. A project prefeasibility study for the project yielded positive results. A final decision on project procurement will be made based on the results of a comprehensive front-end engineering and design work that will be carried out next by Chemrec. Biomass Magazine, Nov 2009 (Website: http://www.biomassmagazine.com/) NEW TECHNOLOGY Saudi-Japanese Symposium The 19th Annual Saudi-Japan Symposium on Catalysts in Petroleum Refining and Petrochemicals was held in Dharan on 8-9 November 2009. Of particular interest to your Editor was a paper on hydrothermal treatment of various hydrocarbons using supercritical water. The next meeting will be held on 28-29 November 2010 in Dharan. Abstracts of the papers can be downloaded from http://www.kfupm.edu.sa/catsymp/Proceedings- 19th%20Symp.htm Solid acid alkylation catalyst demonstrated An engineered solid acid catalyst, developed by Exelus Inc, Livingston, NJ, has been demonstrated at the NNPC refinery in Warri, Nigeria. The catalyst is not described in detail. Oil and Gas Journal, 9 Nov 2009, 107 (42), 46-53 Retrofit produces isobutanol A three-component technology developed by Gevo Inc enables ethanol producers to retrofit their existing plants to produce biobased isobutanol. From isobutanol, the retrofitted plant can produce a host of other alternative fuels and high-value end products. The first component of Gevo’s technology is a genetically engineered biocatalyst, a strain of yeast that has been biologically modified to produce isobutanol rather than ethanol. The second component is the Gevo Integrated Fermentation Technology (GIFT), a process that separates the isobutanol from the biocatalyst as it is produced. The third component entails the conversion of isobutanol to various end products such as renewable fuels and chemical products such as rubbers, plastics, polymers, and fibres. Gevo’s pilot plant in Denver, CO, has been scaled up and a bigger demonstration-scale plant is presently underway at ICM Inc’s 1 M gallon/y pilot plant in St Joseph, MO. The St Joseph plant is JANUARY 2010 5 FOCUS ON CATALYSTS
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biofuels 22
Transcript of Biofuels 22
Verenium strengthens cellulosicethanol arm
Verenium Biofuels, MA-based biofuelcompany with interests in ethanolproduction, is scaling up its demoplant technology to set up a 36 Mgallon/y ethanol plant at HighlandsCounty, FL. Presently, the demo plantwith production capacity of 1.4 Mgallon/y of cellulosic ethanol issituated in LA. Until now, the demoplant has produced a few hundredsgallons of beer which has to bedehydrated to supply to the market.The company plans to supply itsethanol for the blending purpose toBP.
Biofuels International, Sep 2009, 3 (7), 4
BP and Martek to make sweet biodiesel
BP and Martek Biosciences (Martek),are collaborating to assess thecommercial viability of convertingsugars into biodiesel for use in thebiofuels market. In Martek’s process,biomass is converted into sugar whichis fermented to yield lipids by use of amicroorganism. These lipids give outfuel molecules after chemical orthermocatalytic processing. Biodieselproduced from renewable feedstockscould deliver greenhouse-gasemission reductions of up to 80-90%,without the need to significantly adjustthe energy infrastructure.
Biofuels International, Sep 2009, 3 (7), 6
DONG Energy and Inbicon inauguratelarge demo plants for 2nd generationbiofuel
Danish Prince Joachim inauguratedthe DONG Energy and Inbiconcellulosic ethanol plant in Kalundborg,Denmark. The plant is one of theworld’s first and largest 2ndgeneration ethanol demonstrationbiorefineries. Genencor’s Accelleraseenzymes are used in the plant’sinnovative process for convertingstraw to fuel.
Press release from: Danisco US Inc, GenencorDivision, 3490 Winton Place, Rochester, NY 14623,USA. Tel: +1 585 256 5200. Fax: +1 585 256 5265.Website: http://www.genencor.com (19 Nov 2009)
Pilot acrolein unit for Nippon Shokubai
Nippon Shokubai is to build a pilotacrolein unit using renewable materials
as feedstock on its industrial site inHimeji, Japan (which specializes inacrylic acid production) by end 1Q2011. The aim is to prove the viabilityof an industrial scale unit makingacrylic acid from green acrolein,obtained from glycerol. Glycerol is aby-product of biodiesel production.Thanks to a gas dehydration catalyticprocess, Nippon Shokubai hasdeveloped a technique for usingglycerol as the feedstock for acroleinproduction. This acrolein can then beused instead of propylene in makingacrylic acid. Meanwhile the Japanesegroup has developed a new solidcatalyst and a new process for makingbiodiesel from plant oils. According toNippon Shokubai, the glycerol by-product from this process isparticularly pure, leading to theproduction of acrolein that does notneed to be purified before use asfeedstock for acrylic acid. NipponShokubai’s project is part of aprogramme with the Japanese agencyNEDO (New Energy and IndustrialTechnology DevelopmentOrganization) which was establishedto develop alternatives to oil.
Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 23 Nov 2009, (487), 6 (inFrench)
Chemrec granted $70 M to buildbiorefinery at Swedish pulp mill
Biofuel producer Chemrec AB hasreceived a $70 M grant from theSwedish Energy Board to build a 40M gallon/y renewable fuel biorefineryin Ornskodsvik, Sweden, that willproduce BioDME (dimethyl ether) andBioMethanol via a black liquorgasification process. Black liquor isproduced during pulp production. Theplant will be consolidated into DomsjoFabriker’s pulp mill. Chemrec’sentrained-flow, high-temperatureprocess that attains a complete charconversion in a single phase forms asyngas that can be transformed intosecond-generation renewable motorfuel. A project prefeasibility study forthe project yielded positive results. Afinal decision on project procurementwill be made based on the results of acomprehensive front-end engineeringand design work that will be carriedout next by Chemrec.
Biomass Magazine, Nov 2009 (Website:http://www.biomassmagazine.com/)
NEWTECHNOLOGY
Saudi-Japanese Symposium
The 19th Annual Saudi-JapanSymposium on Catalysts in PetroleumRefining and Petrochemicals was heldin Dharan on 8-9 November 2009. Ofparticular interest to your Editor was apaper on hydrothermal treatment ofvarious hydrocarbons usingsupercritical water. The next meetingwill be held on 28-29 November 2010in Dharan.
Abstracts of the papers can be downloaded fromhttp://www.kfupm.edu.sa/catsymp/Proceedings-19th%20Symp.htm
Solid acid alkylation catalystdemonstrated
An engineered solid acid catalyst,developed by Exelus Inc, Livingston,NJ, has been demonstrated at theNNPC refinery in Warri, Nigeria. Thecatalyst is not described in detail.
Oil and Gas Journal, 9 Nov 2009, 107 (42), 46-53
Retrofit produces isobutanol
A three-component technologydeveloped by Gevo Inc enablesethanol producers to retrofit theirexisting plants to produce biobasedisobutanol. From isobutanol, theretrofitted plant can produce a host ofother alternative fuels and high-valueend products. The first component ofGevo’s technology is a geneticallyengineered biocatalyst, a strain ofyeast that has been biologicallymodified to produce isobutanol ratherthan ethanol. The second componentis the Gevo Integrated FermentationTechnology (GIFT), a process thatseparates the isobutanol from thebiocatalyst as it is produced. The thirdcomponent entails the conversion ofisobutanol to various end productssuch as renewable fuels and chemicalproducts such as rubbers, plastics,polymers, and fibres. Gevo’s pilotplant in Denver, CO, has been scaledup and a bigger demonstration-scaleplant is presently underway at ICMInc’s 1 M gallon/y pilot plant in StJoseph, MO. The St Joseph plant is
JANUARY 2010 5
F O C U S O N C A T A L Y S T S
