Clariant completes the construction of its commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in Romania
Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.
Clariant has announced the official completion of its sunliquid® cellulosic ethanol plant in Podari (Romania).
Press release: “Clariant completes construction of first commercial sunliquid cellulosic ethanol plant in Podari, Romania”, 15/10/2021.
Related posts:
- “Clariant moves forward with the installation of the Valmet pretreatment BioTrac at the cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Podari”, 05/04/2021.
Figure 1. Sunliquid® cellulosic ethanol plant in Podari
The plant in Podari (Dolj county) is built on a 10-hectare area on which construction was initiated in 2019. The completed construction is an important next step for the commercial deployment of sunliquid® technology and supports Clariant’s sunliquid® licensing business strategy. The facility will be operational in the fourth quarter. It will process 250 ktons of straw to produce 50 ktons of cellulosic ethanol per year.
This investment brings substantial economic benefits to the region. By locally sourcing feedstock, greenhouse gas emission reduction can be maximized. Contracts with more than 300 local farmers have been signed to ensure the supply of the necessary feedstock. Also, additional business opportunities will arise along the regional value chain. Co-products produced by the process will be used for the generation of renewable energy, making the plant independent of fossil energy sources. The resulting cellulosic ethanol is an almost carbon neutral 2G biofuel. Besides application as a drop-in solution for fuel blending, this offers further downstream application opportunities into biobased chemicals and for sustainable aviation fuel.
