OMV invests in a pilot plant to transform glycerin into propanol

By -

Type of post: NEWS.

OMV (oil, gas and chemicals company headquartered in Vienna) plans to build a pilot plant at its Schwechat Refinery using a patented process developed inhouse. After more than five years of research, OMV is investing in the ‘Glycerin2Propanol’ process to transform glycerin into propanol.
Press release: “OMV invests in 2nd-generation biofuel production”, 04/03/2021.
Related post: “AustroCel and OMV start cooperation on 2G ethanol”, 28/12/2020.


Figure 1. The Glycerin2Propanol pilot plant will be built beside the ReOil® plant (photo: OMV)

Name

Glycerin2Propanol.

Location

It will be built at the Schwechat Refinery beside the ReOil® plant so that both units can utilize a single measuring station, exploiting synergic effects through a shared-operator concept.

Investment

30 M€.

Of this, around 6.9 M€ will come from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). Another source of funding is the COVID-19 premium.

Feedstock

Glycerin.

1.2 liters of crude glycerin is needed to produce a litre of propanol.

It is a byproduct from the production of biodiesel, as well as the manufacture of detergents and soaps.

It is considered an advanced feedstock under the European Union’s RED II (Renewable Energy Directive).

Product and production capacity

1.25 Ml of propanol per year (CO2 emissions reduction of around 1,800 metric tons).

It will be used as a bio-additive for gasoline and as a sustainable feedstock for the chemicals market (replacement for fossil-based propanol).

Timeline

Construction is set to start in the second quarter of 2021.

The pilot plant should be operational in 2023.

Future plans

The long-term plan is to commercialize the technology in order to produce around 125 Ml of propanol per year (CO2 emissions reduction of around 180,000 metric tons).

Popular Posts

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

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 propiedades de flujo en frío de los productos finales. Por tanto, los HVO son
Read more

Biorefinery platforms – Sugars

By -
Image
Versión en Español BIOREFINERY PLATFORMS Concept - The sugar platform is defined as any combination of C5 (5 carbon atoms; xylose, pentose and ribose are the most common pentose sugars), C6 (6 carbon atoms; glucose, fructose and galactose are the most common hexose sugars) and/or C12 sugars (molecules containing two hexose sugar units) that exists within a pathway from biomass feedstock towards final biobased products. - These simple sugars are reactive molecules that can be converted biologically or chemically into fuels, chemicals, materials. food and animal feed. - Larger molecules such as oligosaccharides and polysaccharides are not included within the sugar platform. - The traditional processes are based on utilizing sucrose (composed of glucose and fructose) derived from sugar crops (sugar beet or sugar cane) or glucose obtained after hydrolysis of starch (founded in wheat, corn barley, rye, triticale…). - In advanced biorefineries, utilizing lignocellulosic biomass as feedst
Read more

Levulinic acid biorefineries

By -
Image
Publication date: 16/11/2015 Last update: 20/02/2016 Description 1,2 Levulinic acid (also known as 4-oxopentanoic acid or γ-ketovaleric acid) is an organic compound with chemical formula C 5 H 8 O 3 . It is a white crystalline solid soluble in water and polar organic solvents. It contains ketone and a carboxylic group whose presence results in interesting reactivity patterns. It is one of the more recognized Biobased Chemical Building Blocks , a starting material for a wide number of compounds (see Applications below). In fact, it was recognized by the US DoE as one of the top biobased platform chemicals of the future and it can successfully address many performance-related issues attributed to petroleum-based chemicals and materials. Process technologies 1,3,4,5 The controlled degradation of C6-sugars by acids is the most widely used approach to prepare levulinic acid from lignocellulosic biomass. Other methods have also been studied, for instance, the hydroly
Read more

Poliolefinas biobasadas – Polietileno biobasado (bio-PE)

By -
Image
English version Sección: PLÁSTICOS BIOBASADOS Series: Poliolefinas biobasadas. - Polietileno biobasado (bio-PE). Polietileno Biobasado (bio-PE) / Polietileno Verde / Polietileno Renovable - Su contenido de carbono biobasado puede alcanzar el 100% . - Recurso renovable . Se produce a partir de materias primas biomásicas renovables como azúcares o aceites vegetales. - Reduce las emisiones de GEI . Cada tonelada producida captura y secuestra CO 2 de la atmósfera. - 100% drop-in . Químicamente idéntico a su equivalente petroquímico. Tiene las mismas características de procesamiento que el PE de origen fósil, por lo tanto, puede procesarse en los mismos equipos. - No biodegradable . No puede ser compostado o biodegradado. - Termoplástico . Se puede fundir y volver a moldear en la forma deseada. - Se puede reciclar y procesar en nuevos productos de bio-PE utilizando tecnologías convencionales sin requerir inversiones adicionales.
Read more