Biorefinery models - Green biorefinery

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Publication date: 05/04/2016
Last update: 05/04/2016

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 Bioenergy Task 42 (Feedstocks / Products / Platforms / Technologies). You can learn more about the general notion of biorefinery and the different biorefinery classifications in this section of the blog: BIOREFINERY CONCEPT.

GREEN BIOREFINERY MODEL 1,2,3,4,5,6

Green biomass has become a surplus raw material in many EU regions due to the significant changes of the dairy farming and meat production sector in the last decade. Therefore, the interest in alternative uses of grass biomass is currently a very relevant issue to the agricultural sector. In this sense, the technological concept of green biorefinery represents an innovative approach that offers new utilization pathways of green biomass.

One of the groups that have been working more actively in the development of the concept, have proposed the following definition (Reference 2): “Green Biorefineries (GBRs) are complex systems based on ecological technology for comprehensive (holistic), material and energy utilization of renewable resources and natural materials using green and waste biomass and focalising on sustainable regional land utilization”.

The main features that define the green biorefinery model are shown in the following factsheet:
Green biorefinery factsheet
Feedstocks
Fresh wet biomass (green biomass)
Green biomass is:
•  Green grass from the cultivation of permanent grass lands, closure fields and nature conservation areas.
•  Green crops: alfalfa, clover, sugar beet leaf, potato leaf, immature cereals from extensive land cultivation.
Green harvests generate more biomass and proteins per hectare and year than mature harvests or grain harvests.
The loss of resources by translocation is minimized if the crops are harvested before flowering.
Primary fractionation
Direct processing of green biomass through thermochemical and biological processes is complicated due to its high water content and fiber concentration.
Its initial fractionation represents an essential operation for the green biorefinery concept. Usually, it is carried out by pressing. Other means of preprocessing have been studied as thermomechanical dewatering or hydrothermal conditioning.
Main streams
Wet biomass is fractionated by pressing to obtain two streams (Organic Solutions Platform):
1. Nutrient-rich juice organic solution (press juice): contains valuable compounds such as proteins, free amino acids, organic acids, minerals, hormones and enzymes.
2. Fibre-rich lignocellulosic press cake (press cake). Beside cellulose and starch, the press cake contains valuable dyes and pigments, crude drugs and other organics.
Valorization pathways and products of the press juice
•  Separation technologies (centrifugation, agglomeration membrane technology, decantation, purification, drying, nanofiltration, electrodialysis, chromatography…): proteins, amino acids mixtures, enzymes, carbohydrates, flavourings, coulorings…
•   Fermentation: ethanol, lactic acid and its derivatives, organic acids...
After the separation of proteins and other high value products from press juice, the supernatant can be used as fermentation media.
Valorization pathways and products of the press cake
•   Direct use: green feed pellets and solid fuels.
•  Upgrading to fibre products: insulation materials, fiber boards, horticultural substrates, biocomposites, pulp & paper…
•  Feedstock for lignocellulosic biorefineries: hydrolysis and fermentation to obtain biofuels, organic acids and biopolymers.
• Thermochemical conversion (gasification, hydrothermal liquefaction, pyrolysis…): biofuels.
Thermochemical conversion processes are promising methods of converting the press cake for energy purposes.
Valorization pathways and products of the residues
•   Anaerobic digestion: biogas (CHP or gas-grid biofuel).
The residues generated after processing the main streams of the green biorefinery are suitable for the production of biogas.

Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the Green Biorefinery Upper Austria in Utzenaich (extracted from Reference 3)

BIOREFINERIES AT COMMERCIAL, DEMONSTRATION AND PILOT SCALE 3,6,7,8,9,10,11,12

The table below summarizes the key information about the main projects related to the green biorefinery model. As can be appreciated on the table, the industrial efforts to develop the model are located in Europe.
Plant or technology
Location
Description
Status
Biowert – The grass factory
Brensbach (Germany)
Rural green biorefinery based on grass. Grass fibers are processed to get insulation material or reinforced composites. Depleted grass juice is used for biogas generation.
Commercial scale biorefinery
Green Biorefinery – Havelland type
Havelland (Germany)
Primary fractionation of
green biomasses and production
of proteins, fermentation media, animal feed and biogas.
Demonstration plant. Annual capacity of 20,000 tons of alfalfa and grass.
Green Biorefinery Upper Austria
Utzenaich (Austria)
Upgrading grass silage to lactic acid, amino acids and biogas.
Pilot plant.
Start-up: 2008.
GRASSA!
Mobile unit
(Netherlands)
High-value sustainable protein and fibre based products from grasses and protein-rich agro-residues (beet leafs).
Mobile, small-scale modular process
installation. Capacity of 1-5 tons fresh materials per hour.
Gramitherm® process
Austria
The Gramitherm® process extracts cellulose fibres and juice from raw grass. The fibres are used to produce Gramitherm® (thermal insulating boards) and the juice to obtain biogas or nutritive concentrate for animal food.
Pilot plant

Figure 2. Biowert factory (extracted from Reference 8)
_________________________________________________________________________________
REFERENCES
1 B. Kamm, M. Kamm: “Principles of biorefineries”. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol (2004) 64: 137–145.
2 B. Kamm, P. Schönicke, M. Kamm: “Biorefining of green biomass – technical and energetic considerations”. CLEAN 37 (1), (2009) 27-30.
3 M. Mandl: “Green Biorefinery - An overview” (Presentation). Danish Crop Production Conference, Herning, 11/01/2012.
4 “Biorrefinerías. Situación Actual y Perspectivas de Futuro”. Genoma España /CIEMAT.
5 “The European Biorefinery 2030 Vision”. Star-COLI BRI -Strategic Targets for 2020 – Collaboration Initiative on Biorefineries.
6 S. Xiu, A. Shahbazi: “Development of Green Biorefinery for Biomass Utilization: A Review”. Tr Ren Energy, 2015, Vol.1, No.1, 4-15.
7 IEA Bioenergy Task 42 Biorefining. Sustainable and synergetic processing of biomass into marketable food & feed ingredients, products (chemicals, materials) and energy (fuels, power, heat).  Wageningen, the Netherlands, August 2014.
8 www.biowert.de (accessed on 3rd April 2016).
9 B. Kamm, Ch. Hille, P. Schönicke, G. Dautzenberg: “Green Biorefinery Demonstration in Havelland/Germany”. Biofuels Bioprod. Bioref., Special Issue Biorefinery 4 (2010) 253-262.
10 M. Schaffenberger, J. Ecker, R. Essl, W. Koschuh, M. Mandl, H. Schnitzer: “Green biorefinery - Production of amino acids from grass silage juice”, CHISA 2012 - 20th International Congress of Chemical and Process Engineering and PRES 2012 - 15th Conference PRES (Prague, Czech Republic 25-29/8/2012).
11 grassa.nl (accessed on 3rd April 2016).
12 gramitherm.ch (accessed on 4th April 2016).

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