Anellotech recibe financiación para instalar su planta de demostración TCat-8

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Anellotech es una de las empresas que está pujando por producir para-xileno de origen renovable (bio-PX) de manera comercial. Este compuesto es una pieza clave para fabricar productos de PET exclusivamente a partir de biomasa. A pesar de la fuerte demanda del sector del embalaje, todavía no se puede encontrar bio-PX en cantidades comerciales en el mercado actual. El pasado 18 de noviembre, la empresa anunciaba que había recibido una inyección de 7 millones de dólares de un nuevo inversor. Esta cantidad se corresponde con el primer tramo del total de 10 millones de dólares que la empresa planea conseguir. Los restantes 3 millones se espera que lleguen en los próximos meses.

La inversión será usada para desarrollar su proceso patentado Thermo Catalytic Biomass Conversion (Bio-TCAT™). Anellotech ha desarrollado esta plataforma tecnológica verde para producir benceno, tolueno y xilenos (BTX), a partir de biomasa no alimentaria. El núcleo de la tecnología está basado en las investigaciones llevadas a cabo por el laboratorio del profesor George Huber en la Universidad de Massachusetts-Amherst. En este proceso, la biomasa se seca, se tritura y se calienta rápidamente en un reactor de lecho fluidizado para ser sometida a un proceso pirólisis catalítica rápida. Los gases resultantes son convertidos inmediatamente en hidrocarburos mediante un catalizador de zeolitas reutilizable protegido mediante patentes. La mezcla de bio-BTX, que es idéntica a la de sus homólogos derivados del petróleo, puede ser purificada y separada utilizando tecnologías comerciales bien conocidas.

Figura 1. Esquema simplificado del proceso Bio-TCAT™ de Anellotech (extraído de: “Cost-Competitive Benzene, Toluene and Xylenes From Biomass”, Anellotech, ABLC 2014)

Anellotech está operando una planta piloto desde diciembre del 2013. El siguiente paso es la instalación de una nueva instalación de demostración completamente integrada que se llamará TCat-8 y empezará a funcionar en el 2016. La unidad TCat-8 ha sido diseñada de manera conjunta por Anellotech e IFPEN. Dicha unidad de 25 metros de alto confirmará la viabilidad del escalado del proceso Bio-TCat y generará los datos necesarios para diseñar plantas comerciales usando esta tecnología. Se espera que la primera planta comercial pueda empezar a operar a finales de esta década.

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