Fortum se plantea invertir en una biorrefinería piloto basada en la tecnología de Chempolis

By -


Fortum (empresa energética finlandesa) y Taaleri (grupo financiero cuya empresa matriz opera en el mercado principal de Nasdaq Helsinki) firmaban el pasado 20 de octubre un acuerdo con Chempolis para invertir en esa empresa (leer nota de prensa). El acuerdo es parte de la reestructuración de la propiedad y de la financiación de Chempolis. Fortum invertirá aproximadamente 6,4 millones de euros y Taaleri aproximadamente 4 millones de euros. De esta manera, Fortum se convertirá en el mayor propietario de Chempolis con cerca del 34% de las acciones.

Y, la principal razón para publicar esta entrada: Fortum también anunciaba su intención de investigar en la posibilidad de invertir en una biorrefinería piloto basada en la tecnología de Chempolis. De acuerdo con la nota de prensa, Heli Antila (CTO de Fortum) dijo que “Chempolis es una empresa muy interesante con una tecnología prometedora y nosotros queremos investigar las posibilidades de invertir en una planta piloto comercial utilizando su tecnología para incrementar el valor de la biomasa”.

Figura 1. Recuperación de químicos en Chempolis Biorefining Park (extraído de la página web de Chemplolis, fotografía sacada por Sampo Anttila)

Fortum es uno de los mayores usuarios de biomasa en el Norte de Europa y está buscando por tecnologías innovadoras en ese campo. Chempolis es una empresa de tecnologías de biorrefino especializada en proveer soluciones para fraccionar la biomasa en bioproductos avanzados y parece que su plataforma de biorrefino formico® puede ser un buen candidato para Fortum. Matti Sundberg (Presidente del Consejo de Chempolis) afirmaba que la inversión creará una fuerte confianza de los mercados internacionales en Chempolis y posibilitará su crecimiento multidimensional. A este respecto, conviene recordar que Chempolis y Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) formaron una “joint venture” para la construcción de una biorrefinería de categoría mundial en la India a principios de este año.

Popular Posts

Mini-plant for production of glucaric acid from glucose starts up successfully

By -
Image
Recent news about one of the DOE’s 12 Top Biobased Molecules. Rennovia Inc. and Johnson Matthey Process Technologies announced on July 16 that they have successfully started-up a mini-plant for production of glucaric acid from glucose using jointly developed technology. In March 2014, these companies embarked on a collaboration to develop, demonstrate and commercialize catalytic process technologies for the production of bio-based glucaric acid and adipic acid. Under the collaboration, Rennovia and JM Process Technologies work together in processes based on Rennovia’s technology for the catalytic aerobic oxidation of glucose to glucaric acid and the catalytic hydrogenation of glucaric acid to adipic acid. The final goal of the collaboration is to license a package enabling commercial production of these chemical products. The successful operation of this mini-plant is a major milestone in the journey to achieve this goal. The facility is located at the Johnson Matthey Process ...
Read more

Biorefinery models - Lignocellulosic biorefinery

By -
Image
Publication date: 25/04/2016 Last update: 25/04/2016 ABOUT THE SERIES OF POSTS “BIOREFINERY MODELS” This post belongs to a series called “ Biorefinery Models ”. This series is devoted to briefly describe the models or concepts of advanced biorefineries which have emerged in the last few years and that are rising currently. These models are simplified representations which enable us to understand in a simple way the structure and characteristics of a general biorefinery type. Some of these models refer to the type of feedstock while other focus on the technologies involved. A biorefinery may resemble these models or be the result of variations and combinations of them. It should be noted that although these paradigms are very useful and instructive, they show limitations in describing and classifying complex systems with high level of integration. In order to define and describe a specific complex case, the blog recommends use the classification proposed by IEA Bioenerg...
Read more

Hidrotratamiento (HVO) – Conceptos, materias primas y especificaciones

By -
Image
English version Sección: BIOCOMBUSTIBLES AVANZADOS Serie: HVO - Hidrotratamiento (HVO) – Conceptos, materias primas y especificaciones - Hidrotratamiento(HVO) – Ventajas sobre el biodiesel convencional y propiedades - Biorrefinerías de Aceites Vegetales Hidrotatados (HVO) – El auge del diésel renovable - Entradas: HVO                El acrónimo HVO significa en inglés “ Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils ” (“Aceites Vegetales Hidrotratados”) o ” Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils ” (“Aceites Vegetales Hidrogenados”). Clave del proceso: Tratamiento con hidrógeno. En el proceso de producción de HVO, el hidrógeno se usa para eliminar el oxígeno de los triglicéridos produciendo una mezcla de parafinas lineales, CO 2 y agua. Posteriormente, el producto de la primera etapa se isomeriza, siempre en presencia de hidrógeno, para ramificar las cadenas lineales con el propósito de mejorar las propieda...
Read more

Biofuels from algae

By -
Image
In my opinion, the production of biofuels and biobased chemicals from algae is one of the most fascinating topics in the sector of the biorefineries and it will be one of the niches of opportunity with highest potential in the medium and the long terms. This post pretend to be a very basic approach to the topic Algae-to-Biofuels through three general key points. Algae 1,2,3,4,5 Algae include a wide variety of photosynthetic organisms capable of transforming light, water and specific nutrients into products that can be used with commercial and industrial purposes. We can say that algae are sunlight-driven factories with potential to convert CO 2 into biofuels, high-value biochemical, food and feed. There are four algae cultivation technologies currently in use for commercial algae cultivation and proposed for algal biofuel production: extensive or open ponds, intensive or raceway ponds, closed photobioreactors in many designs and closed fermenter systems. Algal biof...
Read more

Biobased acrylic acid

By -
Image
Versión en Español Type of post: Fact sheet. Series: Biobased chemicals – Organic acids. Publication date: 05/05/2021. Last update: 05/05/2021. Description - Organic acid with 3 carbon atoms. - It is a clear, colourless, corrosive liquid with a characteristic acrid or tart smell. - Other names: prop-2-enoic acid. Applications - Formation of homopolymers or copolymers which are used in the manufacture of various adhesives, coatings, diapers, detergents, paints, plastics and textiles. The main use of crude acrylic acid is the generation of acrylate esters, followed by the production of polyacrylic acid, used mostly in superabsorbent polymers. - Chemical intermediate in multiple industrial processes. Conventional petrochemical route - Cracking of fossil naphtha to produce propylene / Oxidation of propylene. Main biobased routes - [3-HPA via] Fermentation of sugars to produce 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HPA) / Dehydration of 3-HPA. - [Biobased naphtha via] Cracking of biobased naphth...
Read more