Clariant, ExxonMobil and REG forge a partnership to develop cellulosic biodiesel technology

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Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.

Clariant, ExxonMobil and Renewable Energy Group (REG) have signed a joint research agreement to evaluate the potential use of cellulosic sugars to produce biofuel.
Press release: “Clariant partners with ExxonMobil and Renewable Energy Group to advance Cellulosic Biofuel Research”, 23/1/2019.
Related posts:
- “ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics enter a new phase of their joint algae biofuel research program”, 8/3/2018.
- “Clariant starts the construction of its cellulosic ethanol plant in Romania”, 17/9/2018.
- “Phillips 66 and Renewable Energy Group plan to build a renewable diesel plant in USA”, 2/11/2018.

Figure 1. Sunliquid pre-commercial plant in Straubing where Clariant will carry out tests in the framework of this agreement

The objective is to combine technologies into an integrated biodiesel production process (seamless biomass-to-biodiesel technology):
- Clariant’s Sunliquid® technology which transforms agricultural waste into cellulosic sugars.
- REG’s bioconversion technology which converts sugars from cellulosic biomass into biodiesel through a single-step fermentation process.

The new partnership expands a previous agreement between ExxonMobil and REG, in which the companies successfully validated the ability of REG’s proprietary technology that utilizes industrial microbes to transform complex cellulosic sugars into biodiesel. Clariant will conduct trials at its pre-commercial plant in Straubing, using different types of cellulosic feedstock that will be converted into sugars for REG and ExxonMobil to transform into biodiesel. The partners will also work on a conceptual engineering study to validate the feasibility of the integrated process comprising the technologies of all parties.

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