Anellotech receives funding to install its TCat-8 demonstration facility




Anellotech is one of the companies struggling to produce commercially renewable-based paraxylene (bio-PX), a key component required to make 100% bio-PET. Despite strong demand from packaging sector, there is no commercial bio-PX on the market today. On November 18th, the company announced having received a funding of $7 million from a new investor. Such quantity is the first tranche of a total of $10 million that Anellotech plans to raise. The remaining $3 million is expected to come within the next few months.

The funding will be used for the development of its Thermo Catalytic Biomass Conversion (Bio-TCAT™) process. Anellotech has developed this clean technology platform for producing benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX), from renewable non-food biomass. The core of this technology is based on scientific research initially performed in Professor George Huber's laboratory at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. In this process, biomass is dried, ground and rapidly heated in a fluidized bed reactor to be subjected to a catalytic fast pyrolysis process. The resulting gases are immediately converted into hydrocarbons by a proprietary, reusable, sand-like zeolite catalyst. The mixture of bio-BTX, which is identical to petroleum-derived counterparts, can be further purified and separated by using well-known commercial technologies.

Figure 1. Simplified scheme of the Bio-TCAT™ process of Anellotech (extracted from: “Cost-Competitive Benzene, Toluene and Xylenes From Biomass”, Anellotech, ABLC 2014)

Anellotech is running a pilot plant since December 2013. The next step is the installation of a new, fully-integrated development and testing facility called TCat-8, which will be operational in 2016. The TCat-8 unit was jointly designed by Anellotech and IFPEN. This 25 meter-tall unit will confirm the viability and suitability of the Bio-TCat process for scale up, and generate the data needed to design commercial plants using the technology. The first commercial plant is planned for the end of this decade.

Popular Posts

Biofuels from algae

Hidrotratamiento (HVO) – Conceptos, materias primas y especificaciones

Biorrefinerías de FDCA (ácido 2,5-furanodicarboxílico)

Fast pyrolysis plants

Etanol celulósico – Lo básico: Conceptos y materias primas