Cellulosic ethanol biorefineries at commercial scale

Publication date: 12/08/2015.
Last update: 11/12/2017.

Type of post: Overview. Series: Advanced biofuels.

Cellulosic ethanol is an advanced biofuel. A wide range of terms and approaches are used to refer to advanced biofuels and classify them in different generations (type of feedstock, conversion technology, properties of the fuel molecules produced…). Taking into account a definition based on the carbon source from which the biofuel is derived, cellulosic ethanol can be considered as a 2nd generation biofuel. In this generation, the biofuel carbon is derived from cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin or pectin.

Cellulosic ethanol is produced by processing lignocellulosic agricultural wastes (straw, corn stover…) or purpose-grown non-food feedstocks (short rotation coppice, energy grasses…). It can be obtained through biological and thermochemical routes. The end product has the same characteristics as any other type of ethanol and is typically blended with gasoline. GHG emissions from cellulosic ethanol are estimated to be up to 90 % less than petroleum sources and the use of cellulosic avoid the appearance of a food-versus-fuel scenario.

Processing these complex feedstocks requires high-tech technologies and highly skilled people. For a long time, it seemed like transform the inedible parts of plants into a commercially viable biofuel, was nothing more than a dream. However, thanks to the research and innovation efforts of companies and institutions, commercial cellulosic ethanol biorefineries are here today.

The table below summarizes the main characteristics of the commercial facilities worldwide (this post will be updated on a regular basis). It is complemented with a map at the end of the post. 1.5 Generation (corn kernel fiber to ethanol) plants are excluded from the table (more information here: “Corn fiber ethanol – Examining 1.5G technologies”).

Figure 1. Cellulosic ethanol biorefinery Bioflex 1 of GranBio in Alagoas (extracted from GranBio website)

Location	Companies	Feedstock	Production capacity (Ml/y)	Platform	Upgrading technology	Technology status	Start-up	Plant status	References
Sarpsborg (Norway)	Borregaard	Wood.	20	Spent sulphite liquor from wood processing	Fermentation	TRL 9	1938 (ethanol production, see Note 1)	Operational.	[5,6,7]
Domsjö (Sweden)	Domsjö Fabriker AB	Wood.	22	Spent sulphite liquor from wood processing	Fermentation	TRL 9	1940 (ethanol production, see Note 2)	Operational.	[8]
Crescentino (Italy)	Beta Renewables	Agricultural waste (wheat straw, rice straw). Energy crops (Arundo donax, miscanthus).	50	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	End of 2012 (official opening: 09/10/2013)	Operational (see Note 3, to be updated).	[10,11,12]
Yucheng (Shandong, China)	Shandong Longlive	Agricultural waste (corn cob).	63	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	End of 2012	Operational.	[4,13,14]
Nanyang (Henan, China)	Henan Tianguan	Agricultural waste (corn and wheat stalks).	38	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	End of 2012	Operational. Expansion planned.	[4,14]
Vero Beach (Florida, USA)	INEOS Bio	Agricultural waste.	30	Syngas	Fermentation	TRL 8	2013	Idle (see Note 4).	[15]
Emmetsburg (Iowa, USA)	POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels	Agricultural waste (corn stover).	76	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	September 2014 (official opening: 03/09/2014)	Operational.	[16]
São Miguel dos Campos (Alagoas, Brasil)	GranBio	Agricultural waste (straw and bagasse).	82	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	September 2014	Operational.	[17]
Hugoton (Kansas, USA)	Abengoa Bioenergy	Agricultural waste (corn stover and wheat straw).	95	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	October 2014 (official opening: 17/10/2014)	Idle (see Note 5).	[18]
Piracicaba (São Paulo, Brasil)	Raízen and Iogen	Agricultural waste (straw and bagasse).	40	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	December 2014 (official opening: 22/07/2015)	Operational.	[19]
Nevada (Iowa, USA)	DuPont	Agricultural waste (corn stover).	114	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	October 2015 (official opening: 30/10/2015)	Operational (see Note 6, to be updated).	[20]
Kajaani (Finland)	St1 and SOK (NEB)	Woody biomass (sawdust).	10	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	2017	Operational. Expansion planned.	[21]
Edmonton (Canada)	Enerkem	Municipal Solid Waste.	38	Syngas	Catalytic transformation	TRL 8	September 2017 (ethanol production, see Note 7)	Operational.	[22,23,24]
Strazske (Slovakia)	Energochemica and Beta Renewables	Agricultural waste (wheat straw, rapeseed straw, corn stover). Dedicated energy crops (switchgrass).	70	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 9	2018	Under construction (see Note 3, to be updated).	[24,25]
Hampden (Maine, USA)	Fiberight	Municipal Solid Waste.	23	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	2018	Under construction.	[26]
Clinton (North Carolina, USA)	Beta Renewables	Dedicated energy crops.	75	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 9	2018	Under construction (see Note 3, to be updated).	[27]
Bathinda (Punjab, India)	Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Institute of Chemical Technology.	Agricultural waste.	32	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	2018	Under construction.	[28]
Leopoldov (Slovakia)	Enviral and Clariant	Agricultural waste (wheat straw).	63	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	2019	Construction due to commence 2017.	[29]
Varennes (Canada)	Enerkem and Greenfield	Municipal Solid Waste.	38	Syngas	Catalytic transformation	TRL 9	2019	Construction due to commence 2017.	[30]
Jamestown (North Dakota, USA)	New Energy Investors	Agricultural waste (corn stover and wheat straw).	49	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	2019	Construction due to commence 2017.	[31]
Southwestern part of Romania	Clariant	Agricultural waste (wheat straw and other cereals).	63	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 9	2020	Construction due to commence 2018.	[32]
Pietarsaari (Finland)	St1, SOK and NEOT	Woody biomass (forest industry residues).	50	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 9	2020	Investment decision in 2018.	[21]
Hønefoss (Norway)	St1 and Vikeng Skog SA	Woody biomass (forest industry residues).	50	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 9	2021	Investment decision in 2018.	[33]
Zhaodong (China)	COFCO Zhaodong	Dedicated energy crops.	45	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	2018	Planned.	[4,14]
Holstebr (Central Jutland, Denmark)	Maabjerg Energy Center (MEC)	Agricultural waste (straw).	73	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	-	Planned.	[34]
Assam (India)	Numaligarh Refinery Limited and Chempolis	Dedicated energy crops (bamboo).	63	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 8	-	Planned.	[35]
Panipat (Haryana, India)	Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Praj	Agricultural waste.	32	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 9	-	Planned.	[36]
Dahej (Gujarat, India)	Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Praj	Agricultural waste.	32	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 9	-	Planned.	[36]
Bargarh (Odisha, India)	Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Praj	Agricultural waste.	32	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 9	-	Planned.	[36]
Bina (M.P., India)	Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Institute of Chemical Technology	Agricultural waste.	32	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 9	-	Planned.	[28]
Riverbank (California, USA)	Aemetis	Agricultural waste (orchard waste and nutshells).	38 (Phase 1)	Syngas	Fermentation	TRL 8	-	Planned.	[37]
Fuyang (Anhui, China)	M&G Chemicals (Gruppo Mossi Ghisolfi) and Anhui Guozhen	Agricultural waste (wheat straw, corn stover).	230	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 9	-	Planned (see Note 3, to be updated)-	[38]
Siping City (Jilin, China)	New Tianlong Industry and Dupont	-	-	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 9	-	Planned (see Note 6, to be updated).	[39]
Pelagonia (Macedonia)	DuPont and Ethanol Europe Renewables	-	100	Sugars	Fermentation	TRL 9	-	Suspended (see Note 8).	[40]

NOTE
1	The Borregaard biorefinery in Sarpsborg manufactures lignin-based products and specialty cellulose, as well as bioethanol, vanillin and fine chemicals. Although the plant is not optimised for ethanol production, it produces cellulosic ethanol at commercial scale. [Sarpsborg Biorefinery] In 2016, Borregaard decided to invest about 7 M€ in a project which includes an upgrade of the bioethanol plant and a facility to capture and store biogas. [Borregaard to revamp its 2G ethanol plant]
2	Domsjö Pulp Mill is a biorefinery that generates products and energy from renewable raw materials from the forests. As well as cellulose, the facility produces lignin and bioethanol. Complementary products such as carbonic acid, biogas and energy, are also obtained. [Domsjö Pulp Mill]
3	By the end of September 2017, Beta Renewables reported that the court of Alessandria admitted Gruppo Mossi Ghisolfi companies to the “concordato preventivo” in accordance with article 161 sixth paragraph of the Bankruptcy Law. Beta Renewables is owned by Mossi Ghisolfi. Therefore, the near future of the projects leaded by this company is uncertain and there is a serious risk of halt. The information will be updated.
4	INEOS New Planet BioEnergy plant was constructed for demonstrating at full commercial scale the economic conversion of a variety of different lignocellulosic waste biomass feedstocks to bioethanol and renewable electricity utilizing the INEOS Bio technology. The construction was completed in June 2012 and the first production of cellulosic ethanol at commercial scale took place one year later. In December 2014, the plant was shut down for the installation of a HCN scrubber. The presence of low levels of hydrogen cyanide, toxic to the organisms involved in the fermentation, was a major problem for the process. Finally, in September 2016, Ineos Bio announced its intention to sell its ethanol business, including the New Planet BioEnergy plant. [Alliance Bio-Products to demonstrate its CTS technology revamping closed ethanol plant]
5	Abengoa filed an insolvency proceeding on November 25, 2015. The debt restructuring plan presented by the company to avoid bankruptcy included the sale of all non-core assets, such as the first generation biofuels business units. The crisis also affected its second generation ethanol business. In fact, Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas sold the Hugoton cellulosic ethanol plant to Synata Bio by late 2016 for 48.5 M$. [Abengoa to start the construction of a biorefinery producing biofuels from MSW in Nevada]
6	DuPont Industrial Biosciences reported its plans to sell its cellulosic ethanol plant in Iowa in October 2017. The move comes almost exactly two years after the company celebrated the grand opening of the facility in October 2015. In a statement, DuPont said: “As part of DowDuPont’s intent to create a leading specialty products company, we are making a shift in how we participate in the cellulosic biofuels market. While we still believe in the future of cellulosic biofuels, we have concluded it is in our long-term interest to find a strategic buyer for our technology, including the Nevada biorefinery.”
7	The Edmonton facility is the first commercial-scale plant in the world to produce cellulosic ethanol from non-recyclable, non-compostable mixed municipal solid waste (MSW). Its official opening took place on June 4, 2014. It has been producing and selling biomethanol since 2016. A new methanol-to-ethanol conversion unit has been installed in 2017 and the production of ethanol started on September 2017. [Enerkem begins production of cellulosic ethanol from MSW at its Edmonton biorefinery]
8	Ethanol Europe is the sponsor of Pelagonia Ethanol. The plant, located in Macedonia (Pelagonia), could revitalize local rural communities that are being abandoned and provide 1,000 direct jobs. The investment is now suspended.

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REFERENCES

1 Website of ETIP Bioenergy: “Advanced Biofuels in Europe”.

2 Website of ETIP Bioenergy: “Cellulosic ethanol”.

3 Website of ePURE: “Innovation & Advanced Biofuels”.

4 E. Warner, A. Schwab, D. Bacovsky: “Survey of Non-Starch Alcohol and Renewable Hydrocarbon Biofuels Producers”. Technical Report NREL/TP-6A10-67539, February 2017.

5 Website of Borregaard.

6 BioRefineries Blog post: “Sarpsborg Biorefinery” (20/04/2015).

7 BioRefineries Blog post: “Borregaard to revamp its 2G ethanol plant” (14/09/2016).

8 Website of Domsjö.

9 BioRefineries Blog post: “Domsjö Pulp Mill” (29/04/2015).

10 Website of Beta Renewables: "Crescentino – The Project".

11 BioRefineries Blog post: “Crescentino Bioethanol Plant” (9/04/2015).

12 Press release from Beta Renewables: “The Alessandria court admitted the Gruppo Mossi Ghisolfi companies to the concordato preventivo” (27/09/2017).

13 “Ethanol development in China”. Bioenergy International (20/09/2016).

14 L. Kang: “Biofuel Experiences in China: Governance and Market Development Updates”. The 6th Stakeholder Plenary Meeting of EBTP.14-15/10/2014, Brussels.

15 BioRefineries Blog post: “Alliance Bio-Products to demonstrate its CTS technology revamping closed ethanol plant” (24/07/2017).

16 Website of POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels.