BioRefineries Blog

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Technip Energies announces the award of a contract for the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) phase of LanzaTech’s DRAGON Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Project based on LanzaJet Alcohol to Jet (ATJ) Technology, on track to be one of the first commercial SAF facilities in the UK. Press release: " Technip Energies Wins Contract from LanzaTech UK Ltd, for a Sustainable Aviation Fuel Facility ", 12/04/2023. LanzaTech UK’s DRAGON SAF Project has been awarded supplemental funding through The UK Department for Transport’s Advanced Fuel Fund to help decarbonise aviation fuel in the UK. The flagship facility, to be located in Port Talbot, Wales, will uniquely use feedstock (ethanol) derived from local waste sources, bringing circularity to the project’s green credentials. The development, which is expected to produce 79 KTA (thousand Tonnes per Annum) (ca.100million litres/year) of SAF will deploy LanzaJet’s proprietary ATJ technology. T.EN’s proprieta...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Based on significant advancements over the past 5 years, Fibenol is now starting up its first lignocellulosic biorefinery in Imavere. The recalcitrant lignocellulosic structures are effectively opened with a combination of Sunburst™ pre-treatment technology and tailored enzymatic cocktails from Novozymes. This combination provides more than 90% conversion of birch wood processing residues into high-quality cellulosic sugars and co-products, including high-purity lignin. Press release: " Novozymes & Fibenol have entered a commercial partnership to demonstrate lignocellulosic biorefining on an industrial scale ", 02/04/2023.

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Ampol Limited (Ampol) and ENEOS have  announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the production of advanced biofuels at the Lytton refinery in Brisbane, Australia. Press release: " Ampol and ENEOS Partner to Explore Advanced Biofuels Production in Queensland ", 23/03/2023. The parties have also executed a separate MoU with the Queensland Government and will continue to engage with the state as work progresses to discuss investment and project development as part of the Queensland Biofutures 10-Year Roadmap. Ampol and ENEOS will jointly explore the feasibility of delivering an advanced biofuels manufacturing facility with the capacity to generate up to 500 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel annually. Initial work will consider the use of agricultural, animal and other waste feedstocks prevalent in the Queensland market and seek to leverage the use of existing refinery manufacturing an...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. I EA Bioenergy Task 39 (transport biofuels) commissioned India to lead a study on “Feedstock-to-biofuels”, especially a biomass supply chain assessment for the production of 2nd Generation (2G) ethanol, to help understand the developments in India and other groups/member countries. The study mainly focussed on biomass availability, prevalent biomass supply chain approaches, and different process schemes, including the type of pretreatment technologies used by 2G ethanol technology developers. Furthermore, the study included life cycle analysis and environmental impact assessment to identify the GHG emissions and energy consumption hotspots during the lignocellulosic bioethanol production process. Study: " Feedstock to Biofuels: Opportunities for advanced biofuels - Supply chain analysis and reduction in CAPEX/OPEX ". Press release: " Feedstock to Biofuels Opportunities for advanced biofuel ".

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Accelera by Cummins, will supply a 90-megawatt (MW) proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system for Varennes Carbon Recycling’s (VCR) plant in Quebec, Canada. Press release: " Varennes Carbon Recycling selects Accelera by Cummins to manufacture, supply 90MW electrolyzer system in Quebec ", 20/03/2023. VCR is a consortium between Shell, Suncor and Proman, with the support of the Canadian and Quebec governments. The biorefinery will be powered by the exclusive waste-to-methanol technology platform developed by Enerkem. This electrolyzer system will be comprised of four HyLYZER®-5000s (Accelera’s largest electrolyzer product). Each HyLYZER-5000 utilizes 25 MW of electricity and can produce up to 10 tons of hydrogen per day. This first-of-its-kind installation will provide the capacity needed to generate clean, renewable hydrogen and oxygen for VCR’s conversion of waste material to low-carbon-intensity fuels and circular chemicals. The facility...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Viridos  has raised a 25 M $  Series A equity investment. The Series A was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) and joined by Chevron U.S.A. Inc . and United Airlines Ventures . The funding will be used for R&D to further increase algae oil productivity to reach commercially deployable levels. Press release: " Breakthrough Energy Ventures Leads $25M Series A for Viridos’ Revolutionary and Sustainable Algae Biofuels ", 13/03/2023. Globally, diesel and jet fuel account for over a third of the liquid fossil fuel used. The heavy transportation sector comprising aviation, shipping, and long-distance trucking relies on these fuels with demand expected to continue to grow for decades, creating major decarbonization challenges. Viridos aims to solve this challenge by leading the bioengineering of microalgae and has already achieved seven times the oil productivity compared to wild algae. This sets the stage for the scalable and sustainable produ...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Cepsa will build a new second-generation (2G) biofuel plant in Palos de la Frontera, Huelva, which will involve an investment of up to 1,000 million euros. This new plant, which will be located in the 'La Rábida' Energy Park, will produce both renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel and will mean the creation of up to 1,600 jobs, direct and indirect, during its construction phase.  2G biofuels will be made from organic waste, such as used cooking oil or agricultural waste, among others. Press release: " PLANTA DE BIOCOMBUSTIBLES DE SEGUNDA GENERACIÓN EN HUELVA CON UNA INVERSIÓN DE HASTA 1000 MILLONES DE EUROS ", 08/03/2023.

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. KBR has launched Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) technology in alliance with Swedish Biofuels AB. The alliance extends KBR's decarbonization and energy transition portfolio into the aviation sector with a differentiated SAF offering. In addition to processing ethanol, this technology can also convert carbon dioxide and synthesis gas to SAF, thereby expanding opportunities for KBR's clients to utilize captured carbon toward a cleaner, greener future. Validation of this advanced technology was performed in conjunction with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Press release: " KBR Launches Sustainable Aviation Fuel Technology in Alliance with Swedish Biofuels ", 10/02/2023.

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Eni Sustainable Mobility and PBF Energy have announced they have entered into definitive agreements to partner in a 50-50 joint venture, St. Bernard Renewables LLC (SBR), for the biorefinery currently under construction co-located with PBF’s Chalmette Refinery in Louisiana (US). Upon consummation of the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, Eni Sustainable Mobility will contribute capital totaling $835 million plus up to additional $50 million that is subject to the achievement of eventual project milestones and will provide expertise in biorefining operations, supply and marketing. PBF brings its strong industrial know-how in the United States and, as the contributor of the biorefinery, will continue to manage project execution and serve as the operator once construction is complete. The St. Bernard Renewables biorefinery startup is scheduled in the first half of 2023 and the facility is currently ta...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. LanzaTech and the Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company ("Tadweer”, entity responsible for the development of waste management services in Abu Dhabi and a main key player that supports the adoption of the Emirate’s circular economy) have announced a collaboration to explore business opportunities to develop a large-scale conversion plant for transforming MSW into renewable fuel. Press release: " LanzaTech and Tadweer to explore collaboration on conversion of waste to alternative fuels ", 16/02/2023.

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. United Airlines, Tallgrass and Green Plains have announced a new joint venture (Blue Blade Energy) to develop and then commercialize a novel SAF technology that uses ethanol as its feedstock. If the technology is successful, Blue Blade is expected to proceed with the construction of a pilot facility in 2024, followed by a full-scale facility that could begin commercial operations by 2028. Press release: " United, Tallgrass, and Green Plains Form Joint Venture to Develop New Sustainable Aviation Fuel Technology Using Ethanol ", 31/01/2023. Figure 1. United Airlines, Tallgrass and Green Plains to develop and commercialize SAF technology that uses ethanol as its feedstock (taken from the press release) Blue Blade's new SAF technology was developed by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a leading center for technological innovation in sustainable energy. SAF, which uses non-petroleum fe...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Velocys has announced the execution of a master relationship agreement (“MRA”) with Bechtel. The MRA sets out a route map for the parties to collaborate with each other with the objective of developing an EPC execution model for the Company’s sustainable fuels projects. Press release: " Velocys and Bechtel collaborate on SAF project delivery solution for global markets ", 25/01/2023. This collaboration will initially focus on Velocys’ two main reference projects (Altalto Project in Immingham, UK and Bayou Fuels Project in the US) and the recently announced e-Alto power-to-liquids project in the UK, all subject to the terms of future contracts. However, the MRA also covers other third-party projects that may be introduced by either Bechtel or Velocys. Under a separate continuing technical services agreement, Bechtel is providing front end project engineering and other technical services to support the development of Velocys’ SAF project portfolio. ...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Steeper Energy and Topsoe sign a global licensing agreement for Steeper’s Hydrofaction® technology, enabling Topsoe to offer a complete waste-to-fuel solution. Press release: " Steeper Energy Enters Agreement with Topsoe to Introduce Complete Waste-to-Biofuel Solution ", 26/01/2023 . The agreement grants Topsoe the right to sublicense Steeper’s Hydrofaction® technology, used for converting biomass to renewable biocrude oil.  The agreement accelerates the deployment of advanced biofuels produced from waste biomass such as residues from forestry and agriculture. This is a strong pathway to renewable fuels for the transportation sector including road, aviation and shipping. The agreement combines Topsoe’s unique technologies in renewable fuels and hydrogen production as well as decades of experience in engineering with Steeper’s proprietary Hydrofaction® technology and industry know-how.  With the agreement, Topsoe will be able to provide a complete ...

Type of post: NEWS. Vertex is continuing to advance construction activities on its renewable diesel conversion project, which is designed to convert the Mobile, Alabama refinery’s existing hydrocracking unit to produce renewable diesel fuel on a standalone basis. Press release: " Vertex Energy Provides Operational Update for Q4 2022 ", 17/01/2023. On January 6, 2023, the Company safely completed shutdown procedures on the hydrocracker unit for the next stage of construction activities, as planned. The unit is scheduled to remain offline for a total of approximately 70 days while the project is finalized, with ultimate mechanical completion expected to occur during the final week of March, 2023. Upon completion of the project, the refinery is expected to commence production of renewable diesel in 2Q 2023. Initial volumes are planned to ramp to approximately 8 – 10 thousand barrels per day (Mbpd), with production volumes anticipated to subsequently ramp up to approximately 14 M...

Type of post: NEWS. LanzaJet petitioned the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve a pathway for the generation of biomass-based diesel (D-code 4) renewable identification numbers (RINs) for renewable diesel and jet fuel produced at its facility near Soperton (Georgia, USA).  Based on the EPA evaluation, the fuels produced through the LanzaJet Soperton Process are eligible for biomass-based diesel (D-code 4) RINs.  The renewable jet fuel and renewable diesel is produced from undenatured ethanol through a process of dehydration, oligomerization, and hydrotreating using grid electricity, natural gas, and hydrogen as process inputs (the “LanzaJet Soperton Process”). The undenatured ethanol is produced from sugarcane. Press release: " EPA letter to LanzaJet, Inc. approving a pathway for the generation of biomass-based diesel (D-code 4) renewable identification numbers (RINs) for renewable diesel and jet fuel produced at the Soperton, Georgia facility under the RFS Pro...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Bain Capital has completed a significant equity investment in EcoCeres, an innovative biorefinery company with leading R&D capabilities. The transaction follows Series A investment in EcoCeres from Kerogen Capital in February 2022. Press release: " Bain Capital completes significant equity investment in EcoCeres ", 12/01/2023. Figure 1. EcoCeres HVO plant EcoCeres is an Asia-based advanced biorefinery platform with industrial-scale production capacity that converts waste-based biomass into a wide spectrum of biofuels, biochemicals and biomaterials. The Company is one of the few players in the world to produce commercialized HVO (Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil), SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), and cellulosic ethanol. It has a dedicated R&D team with strong chemical engineering backgrounds, and commercially available combined capacity of 300,000 tons per annum of HVO and SAF in operation. Through the implementation of core proprietary technolo...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Eni, Euglena and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) are jointly studying the possibility of developing and operating a biorefinery in the Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC), one of the largest integrated refinery and petrochemical developments in Southeast Asia. Press release: " Eni, Euglena and PETRONAS to explore biorefinery opportunity in Malaysia ", 14/12/2022. The three parties are currently carrying out technical and economic feasibility assessments for the proposed project, with the investment decision expected to be reached by 2023 and the plant targeted to be completed by 2025. To be located adjacent to PETRONAS’ existing integrated refinery and petrochemical facilities, the biorefinery will be able to leverage the company’s integrated value chain as well as existing utilities and facilities in PIC. The complex’s strategic location with easy access to major international shipping lanes will also enhance the planned refinery’s ability to...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Averda and WasteFuel have announced a partnership to develop the first commercial scale municipal waste to renewable methanol plant in the Middle East. Press release: " Averda and WasteFuel partner to address the climate crisis by turning waste into low carbon fuels in the Middle East ", 07/11/2022. Related post: " Maersk invests in WasteFuel to develop renewable methanol production ", 24/09/2021. The location for the first plant is being researched, and it is expected to be in Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates. The plant will produce renewable methanol for shipping from unrecyclable waste currently being collected and disposed of by Averda. This renewable fuel would help shipping companies achieve up to 90% reductions in CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases and pollutants compared to conventional fuels.

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Shell has agreed to buy a total of 3.25 billion litres of sugar-cane cellulosic ethanol under a long-term agreement with Brazil’s Raízen. The low-carbon fuel is expected to be produced by five plants that Raízen plans to build in Brazil, bringing its total portfolio of cellulosic ethanol facilities to nine.  Press release: " Shell and Raízen sign large cellulosic ethanol deal ", 07/11/2022. Related posts:  - " Raízen to build its second cellulosic ethanol plant ", 28/06/2021. - " Raizen to build 2 new cellulosic ethanol plants ", 14/05/2022. CELLULOSIC ETHANOL Under the agreement, Shell Trading Rotterdam will buy the cellulosic ethanol produced during the first 10 years of each new facility’s operational life. Raízen will supply cellulosic ethanol with a carbon intensity that is approximately 75% lower than gasoline. Raízen expects to invest around $1.5 billion in the plants, the last of which is expected to be operational by t...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Alder Fuels has selected BTG Bioliquids to be part of the first Alder Greencrude (AGC) processing facility in the United States Southeast. Press release: " BTG Bioliquids Fast Pyrolysis Technology Chosen by Alder Fuels as Part of Pioneering Southeast Facility ", 31/10/2022. Related posts:  - " Biorefinery platforms – Pyrolysis oil / Biobased oil / Biobased crude ", 04/01/2022. - " Fast pyrolysis plants ", 17/07/2019. - " Pyrocell commences pyrolysis oil production in Sweden ", 27/09/2021. The initial step in the fuel production process is the conversion of sustainable biomass residues into fast pyrolysis bio-oil. As one of the world’s leading fast pyrolysis technology providers, BTG Bioliquids develops production plants through their engineering, procurement, and construction partner, TechnipEnergies. These plants aim to convert non-food, diverse, and sustainable biomass sources into fast pyrolysis bio-oil that can he...