Anellotech is planning the construction of its first commercial plant for the production of bio-aromatics
Type of post: NEWS.
In November 2015, Anellotech received funding to scale-up its
Thermo Catalytic Biomass Conversion (Bio-TCAT™) process for the production of
bio-aromatics. The company had been running a pilot plant since December 2013
and the next step was the installation of a new, fully-integrated development
and testing facility called TCat-8. This 25 meter-tall unit would generate the
data needed to design commercial plants using the technology. The trials on TCat-8®
started last year in Silsbee (Texas, USA). Now, Anellotech has confirmed that
Bio-TCat™ has proved its viability by achieving commercially targeted yields during
six months of continuous process operations in the unit.
Press release: “Bio-TCat™
technology viability confirmed during extensive Anellotech pilot plant campaign”,
6/5/2019.
Related posts:
- “Anellotech
ships first bio-aromatics samples from its TCat-8 pilot plant for purification
studies”, 18/7/2018.
Figure 1. Bio-TCat fuels and chemicals process
diagram
The Bio-TCat™ reactor produces a liquid product
containing over 98% C6+ aromatic chemicals directly from the
MinFree™-pretreated feedstock. After mild hydrotreating and purification,
AnelloMate™ products (the family of liquid products made through Bio-TCat™) meet
all specifications for sale as chemicals or fuel blendstocks. Process yields of
22-24% by weight of liquid products from loblolly pine feedstock were
demonstrated. Supplemental carbon monoxide (CO) output provides potential for
an additional 3-5% yield by weight of cellulosic ethanol via third-party
technologies or production of renewable electricity.
Anellotech is now planning the construction of
its first commercial plant and is engaging in partnership and funding
discussions with existing and new strategic partners.
Processing
capacity
|
500 bone
dry tons/day of loblolly pine wood.
|
Production
capacity
|
- 40,000
tons/year (860 BPSD) of products including benzene, toluene, xylenes, and C9+
aromatics to use as fuels or for making bio-based plastics for packaging and
consumer products.
- 30,000
tons of carbon monoxide (CO) and other by-product gases will also be
produced, for use in generating renewable electricity or as chemical
feedstock.
|
Timeline
|
- Engineering
work is expected to begin this summer.
- Once
funding is secured, the next phase of construction could begin in the second
half of 2020.
|
Anellotech and its partner Axens are looking forward to licensing much larger plants following this first commercialization. These would be five-times bigger, producing 200-250,000 tonnes/year (4,000-5,000 BPSD) of aromatics and 150,000 tonnes of CO. This rapidly expands the availability of bio-aromatics for chemicals and fuels, providing cost-competitive solutions needed by refiners and brand owners looking to make a difference in their carbon footprints.