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