Queensland’s BAP endorses the new biorefinery of MSF Sugar

By -


Other biorefinery project [Note 1] benefiting from the Biofutures Acceleration Program (BAP) of Queensland (Australia). The Government has thrown its support behind a new biorefinery of MSF Sugar (Australia’s largest sugarcane farmer, second largest raw sugar exporter and the third largest miller) that could generate many jobs and encourage diverse cropping in the region of Far North Queensland (see press release of the company and statement of the Government). The announcement took place on 10th July at MSF Sugar’s Tableland Mill during a media event on the construction site of another of the company’s major projects, the Green Energy Power Plant which is scheduled for completion in 2018.
[Note 1] Recent posts about projects supported by the BAP:
- BPA will build a biorefinery in Mackay with the support of Queensland Government (12/06/2017).
- Amyris seeks to replicate its Brazilian farnesene plant in Australia (22/06/2017).

Project datasheet:
Location
Atherton Tablelands, Far North Queensland (Australia)
Company
MSF Sugar
Concept
The full complex will be an enhanced sugar mill consisting of four important sections: the sugar mill, an agave juice mill, a green power station and a distillery.
The power station and the distillery will operate 12 months of the year.
The plant will contain two front-end processing facilities to separate sucrose, fermentable juice and fibre.
Feedstock
Sugarcane from irrigated land and blue agave from arid land.
Products and production capacity
110 kton of raw sugar.
55 ML of bioethanol.
It can also be expanded to produce additional products: bioplastics, animal feeds and ethanol-based aviation fuels.
Employment
80 construction/farming jobs.
50 operational jobs.
Timeline
See Figure 1.

Figure 1. Milestones of the Sugar MSF biorefinery project in Atherton Tablelands

The Government support obtained through the BAP will be used by MSF Sugar to complete a farm to market feasibility study that examines all areas of the value chain relating to the establishment of a biorefining industry on the Atherton Tableland. The feasibility study funded will consider all processes related to farming the new agave crop, making the bioproducts and delivering the end product to market. The findings will be used to assess the commercial viability of the project and inform MSF Sugar’s decision on when to commence project construction.

To allow the biorefinery to operate 12 months of the year, MSF Sugar will carry out a blue agave pilot project thanks to a grant received through the Queensland Government’s Biofutures Commercialisation Program late last month (see statement). Blue agave is a new crop to Australia but is extensively grown in Mexico to produce the drink tequila. It grows in a climate similar to that of the dry tropic part of the Atherton Tableland, it produces around 400 tons of biomass per hectare in 5 years, does not need irrigation and provides a high amount of fermentable juice and fibre. MSF Sugar intends to develop 4,000 ha of Tableland farmland into agave plantations starting in 2020. As agave takes 5 years to grow, it is anticipated the first commercial harvest will take place in 2025.

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

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

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