Green Biologics starts the construction of its n-butanol and acetone biorefinery in Minnesota

By -


Green Biologics Ltd (GBL) announced on 2nd December that the construction of its biobased n-butanol and acetone manufacturing facility in Little Falls (MN, USA) is moving forward (press release). The existing manufacturing site, formerly known as The Central MN Ethanol Cooperative (CMEC), was acquired by Green Biologics in December 2014 and re-named Central MN Renewables (CMR). Permitting was completed in late August and the construction began on September 1.

Figure 1. Central MN Renewables (Extracted from Central MN Ethanol Cooperative web page)

Since 2012, GBL has been producing renewable n-butanol through a collaboration in China utilizing corn cobs and corn stover as a feedstock. In 2016, its first plant will come on line in Little Falls utilizing corn as a feedstock. Currently, the facility is running in full ethanol production mode. In early 2016, it is expected that the plant shuts down while the new technology is tied in to the existing equipment. By the end of the year, the plant should be in full production of n-butanol and acetone.

GBL is a renewable chemicals company based in Abingdon (England) with a wholly owned US operating company, Green Biologics Inc., based in Gahanna (Ohio). Green Biologics’ Clostridium fermentation platform converts a wide range of sustainable feedstocks into n-butanol (Butachem™) and acetone. This platform is fruit of the development of the original ABE (Acetone – Butanol – Ethanol) fermentation process. n-Butanol is a building block chemical that finds applications as production intermediate for polymers (butyl acrylate, butyl acetate, dibutyl phthalate), extracting agent, perfume and cleaner ingredient,... In the petrochemical industry, it is produced from propylene. Acetone is used extensively as a solvent in paints, coatings, adhesives, inks, pharmaceutical and food applications. It is also used as an intermediate in the production of monomers, polymers, aldol chemicals and cellulose acetate. Its petroleum based counterpart is also produced directly or indirectly from propylene.

 
Figure 2. Acetone and n-butanol downstream derivative products (extracted from Green Biologics web page)

Popular Posts

Biobased polyolefins - Biobased Polyethylene (bio-PE)

By -
Image
Versión en Español Section: BIOBASED PLASTICS Series: Biobased Vinyl Polymers. - Biobased Polyethylene (bio-PE). Biobased Polyethylene (bio-PE) / Green Polyethylene / Renewable Polyethylene - Its biobased carbon content can reach 100%. - Renewable resource . It is produced from renewable biomass feedstocks as sugars or vegetable oils. - It reduces GHG emissions. Each ton produced captures and sequesters CO 2 from the atmosphere. - 100% drop-in . Chemically identical to its petrochemical counterpart. It has the same processing characteristics as fossil PE, therefore, it can be processed in the same equipment. - Non-biodegradable . It cannot be composted or biodegraded. - Thermoplastic . It can be molten and remoulded into the desired shape. - It can be recycled and processed into new bio-PE products using conventional technologies without requiring additional investments. - Building block or monomer: biobased ethylene .
Read more

New HVO plant enters into operation in China

By -
Image
Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS. According to S&P Global Platts, last month, State-owned energy company Beijing Sanju Environmental Protection & New Materials launched a 400 ktons/year capacity HVO plant in Rizhao (Shandong, China) province. The biorefinery utilizes used cooking oil (UCO) and palm oil mill effluent (POME) as feedstocks. News (S&P Global Platts): “ China reinforces position in HVO market with launch of new 400,000 mt/year plant ”, 24/03/2021. Hydrotreating (HVO) – Concepts, feedstocks and specifications . HVO posts. Figure 1. Beijing Sanju, current and planned HVO plants (source: S&P Global Platts Analytics) The new HVO plant (Shandong Sanju Bioenergy) was the result of a cooperation agreement (07/04/2020) between Beijing Sanju (primary owner, investor and tech provider), Hainan Qilu Development (investor and subsidiary of Qilu Transportation Development Group) and the Juxian County Government (minority owner, fixed assets). Shandong Sanju Bio
Read more

Fotobiorreactores

By -
Image
El cultivo de microalgas no es algo novedoso, muchos de los métodos y conceptos que se usan hoy en día fueron desarrollados a finales del siglo XIX y principios de la pasada centuria. En décadas posteriores, se han ido refinando por la intervención de varias disciplinas que han trabajado de manera conjunta: biología, ingeniería de procesos, matemáticas y física. En los últimos 30 años, la industria biotecnológica de las microalgas ha crecido y se ha diversificado de manera significativa. Sin embargo, las aplicaciones comerciales existentes, todavía se hallan limitadas a comercios de bajo volumen y gran valor añadido como el de los suplementos alimenticios o el de los extractos (por ejemplo, el beta-caroteno). De acuerdo con un informe de IEA Bioenergy del 2010, la cantidad de biomasa algal producida comercialmente estaba en el entorno de las 9.000 toneladas. 1,2,3,4 Actualmente, el interés creciente que despiertan el empleo de las microalgas en la obtención de biocombustibles y e
Read more

Levulinic acid biorefineries

By -
Image
Publication date: 16/11/2015 Last update: 20/02/2016 Description 1,2 Levulinic acid (also known as 4-oxopentanoic acid or γ-ketovaleric acid) is an organic compound with chemical formula C 5 H 8 O 3 . It is a white crystalline solid soluble in water and polar organic solvents. It contains ketone and a carboxylic group whose presence results in interesting reactivity patterns. It is one of the more recognized Biobased Chemical Building Blocks , a starting material for a wide number of compounds (see Applications below). In fact, it was recognized by the US DoE as one of the top biobased platform chemicals of the future and it can successfully address many performance-related issues attributed to petroleum-based chemicals and materials. Process technologies 1,3,4,5 The controlled degradation of C6-sugars by acids is the most widely used approach to prepare levulinic acid from lignocellulosic biomass. Other methods have also been studied, for instance, the hydroly
Read more

Shell to build an HVO biorefinery in Rotterdam

By -
Image
Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell) has announced a final investment decision to build a biofuels facility with a capacity of 820 ktons/year at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam (the Netherlands) formerly known as the Pernis refinery. Once built, the facility will be among the biggest in Europe to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel made from waste. Press release: “ Shell to build one of Europe’s biggest biofuels facilities ”, 16/09/2021. Figure 1. Pernis refinery Advanced production methods will be used to make the fuels. The facility is expected to use technology to capture carbon emissions from the manufacturing process and store them in an empty gas field beneath the North Sea through the Porthos project. A final investment decision for Porthos is expected next year. A facility of this size could produce enough renewable diesel to avoid 2.8 Mtons of carbon dioxide emissions a year. The Rotterd
Read more