BioRefineries Blog

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. 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. On occasion of World Biofuels Day, Honourable Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi ji unveiled first-of-its-kind and Asia’s first 2G ethanol biorefinery of IOCL at Panipat (Haryana, India). This 100 KLPD (kilolitres per day) plant based on Praj’s proprietary technology will transform rice straw into ethanol. Source: Press release provided by Praj (10/08/2022). Figure 1. Aerial view of the biorefinery About project: - The facility spans across 35 acres processing 2 lakh (200,000) tons of rice straw to produce 3 crores (30,000,000) liters of ethanol annually. - The commissioning of the biorefinery begun in the 1st week of August 2022 and commercial production of 2G Ethanol will commence within 90 days. Praj’s contributions: - Praj is Technology Licensor and EPCM Consultant for IOCL’s 2G ethanol biorefinery project. - Praj has deployed proprietary ‘enfinity’ technology, developed indigenously at its R&D center Praj Matrix, that processes different agricultural resi...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Brazilian sugar-maker Raizen has approved an investment to build two second-generation ethanol plants, as part of the company’s strategy to expand its portfolio of renewable fuel. News (Financial Post): " Brazil's Raizen to invest $390 mln in second generation ethanol plants ", 11/05/2022. The new plants, which are going to be located in its energy parks in Sao Paulo state, will add a capacity of 164 thousand cubic meters of biofuel per year and are expected to start operation in 2024.  The company already operates one second generation ethanol plant and is in the construction phase of another. All four plants will have total capacity of 280 thousand cubic meters per year, of which 80% was already commercialized in long-term contracts.

  Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Sekisui Chemical and Sekisui Bio Refinery (SBR) have completed construction of a demonstration plant in Kuji City (Iwate, Japan) with the aim of demonstrating the viability of a technology that converts municipal/industrial waste into ethanol on a commercial scale. This technology uses a microbial catalyst and gas fermentation process that was jointly developed by Sekisui Chemical and LanzaTech. Press release: " 1/10th Scale “Waste to Ethanol” Demonstration Plant Completed in Kuji City ", 11/04/2022. Figure 1. Sekisui Chemical completes construction of a waste-to-ethanol demo plant This first of its kind demonstration plant was constructed with investments from SBR, a joint venture between SEKISUI CHEMICAL and INJC, a private-public fund overseen by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). It has also received funding from the Japanese Ministry of the Environment. The parties will use this facility to validate the technology ...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Versalis, Eni's chemical company, has begun the production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass at Crescentino (Vercelli). Press release: “ Versalis: the production of bioethanol up and running at Crescentino ”, 02/02/2022. Related post: “ Versalis acquires Beta Renewables and Biochemtex ”, 18/10/2018. Figure 1. Crescentino biorefinery The plant, which was acquired in 2018, has been overhauled thanks to major investments and has started the production of advanced bioethanol, in compliance with the European legislation for the development of renewable energy RED II, as it is derived from raw materials that do not interfere with the food chain. The bioethanol, produced using Proesa® technology is ISCC-EU certified and will be used to formulate gasoline with a renewable component. The plant is capable of processing 200,000 tons of biomass per year, with a maximum production capacity of approximately 25,000 tons of bioethanol per year. Followi...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) has announced the introduction of a second generation (2G) ethanol product for Europe’s fast-growing biofuels market. Produced using wood-based feedstock (not in competition with food), RYAM bioethanol will have a ninety percent smaller carbon footprint compared to fossil fuel-based gasoline. Press release: “ Rayonier Advanced Materials Announces Investment In Second Generation Bioethanol Plant, An Important Step In Its BioFuture ”, 18/01/2022. Rayonier Advanced Materials’ biorefinery model captures residual sugars from its existing pulp process and converts the sugars into 2G bioethanol. This circular process, which utilizes a greater portion of the tree to create higher-value products, represents a more sustainable operating model. Designed to produce up to 21 million liters of bioethanol, construction on RYAM’s 2G production facility is scheduled to begin in the Spring of 2022 with commercial sales targeted for the Su...

Versión en Español 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 starts the construction of its cellulosic ethanol plant in Romania ”, 17/09/2018. - “ 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 produc...

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Valmet will rebuild the pretreatment system for RE Energy’s biorefinery in Kalundborg (Denmark). Press release: “ Valmet to rebuild pretreatment system for RE Energy’s biorefinery in Denmark ”, 30/09/2021. Related post: “ New Energy Blue intends to construct a cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Iowa ”, 26/07/2021. Figure 1. RE Energy’s biorefinery in Kalundborg (taken from the press release) RE Energy is a fully owned subsidiary of REE Holding and was established in 2020 with the purpose of bringing the old Inbicon Kalundborg biorefinery back in operation and thereafter operate the facility. RE Energy’s biorefinery will, based on straw, produce 2G bioethanol and lignin, and in collaboration with a partner, utilize the hemicellulose to produce new innovative ingredients. Valmet will replace the old feeding system of the plant with a new biomass feeding system based on Valmet’s patented Force feed technology and a new steam explosio...

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. New Energy Blue has announced its intention of constructing a cellulosic ethanol biorefinery (New Energy Freedom project) in Iowa (USA). Press release: “ New Energy Freedom refinery to produce carbon-negative fuel from America’s ag wastes ”, 14/07/2021. Related posts: - “ New Energy Blue plans to break ground on its first cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in spring 2019 ”, 28/09/2018. - “ NewEnergyBlue acquires Inbicon cellulosic ethanol technology ”, 14/08/2019. Figure 1. Model of the New Energy Freedom plant The company is developing the biomass refinery on a 155-acre site near Mason City. 275,000 tons of crop residue (cornstalks and wheat straw) will be locally sourced and converted into 20 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol and 95 tons of lignin. Apparently, the company has abandoned a previously announced project in North Dakota , as it is stating that New Energy Freedom represents the first large-scale use of Inbicon bioconve...

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Saipem and Versalis have signed an agreement to internationally promote PROESA, Versalis’ proprietary technology used to produce sustainable bioethanol and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass. Press release: “ Versalis and Saipem together to produce sustainable bioethanol Signed an agreement for the promotion of Versalis’ technology PROESA® ”, 24/06/2021. Related posts: - “ Versalis acquires Beta Renewables and Biochemtex ”, 18/10/18. - “ Crescentino biorefinery will come back to life by the first half of 2020 ”, 10/02/2020. Versalis will manage the commercial aspects relating to the granting of licence rights of the PROESA technology and will provide engineering, assistance, and training services. Saipem will be responsible for all the stages of production plants development, from design to construction. Furthermore, the two companies will collaborate with a dedicated joint team to further developments in the industrial proces...

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Raízen has recently informed that it will invest in the construction of its second cellulosic ethanol plant. Market release: “ Nova planta e contrato para comercializaçao de etanol celulósico ”, 25/06/2021. Figure 1. Raízen to build its second cellulosic ethanol plant The plant will have an installed capacity for the production of 82 million liters per year, corresponding to double capacity of its first plant. It will be integrated into the Bonfim bioenergy park located in Guariba (Sao Paulo, Brazil), which in addition to the production of sugar, first generation ethanol and electricity from sugarcane biomass, also houses the first biogas plant of the company, inaugurated in October 2020. The forecast is that the plant will enter into operation in 2023. With the start of operation, the total capacity of Raízen's production will be approximately 120 million liters of 2G ethanol per year. The announcement of the new plant meets t...

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Bioflex Agroindustrial has achieved an internationally recognised certification from the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), a global standard for biofuels and other biobased and circular fuels and materials. Press release: “ Granbio achieves RSB certificate for its cellulosic ethanol in Europe ”, 26/04/2021. GranBio’s RSB Certificate and Audit Summary Report . CELLULOSIC ETHANOL . Figure 1. BioFlex® 1, the first biorefinery producing cellulosic ethanol on a commercial scale in the Southern Hemisphere Part of GranBio , a Brazilian biotechnology company and pioneer in the production of cellulosic ethanol in the Southern Hemisphere, Bioflex Agroindustrial’s certificate demonstrates compliance with both RSB’s robust sustainability requirements and the regulatory requirements of RED (EU sustainability criteria and traceability requirements for biofuels and bioliquids). The certificate demonstrates that the 2G ethanol biofuel...

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Sekab’s planned lignocellulosic biorefinery has been selected as a top ranked project among 311 applications to the EU Innovation Fund and is now one step closer to be granted funding. The Innovation Fund is one of the world’s largest funding programs for the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies. Press release: “ Sekab’s technology is making progress in the EU ”, 22/04/2021. Related posts: - “ Sekab and Vertoro to build a demo biorefinery to produce a new platform for sustainable fuels, chemicals and materials ”, 11/03/2020. - “ Sekab starts a feasibility study for a plant to produce biobased chemicals and fuels ”, 17/11/2020. Figure 1. Sekab’s lignocellulosic biorefinery project selected for the next step of the EU Innovation Fund (taken from the press release) The first call for investment support for large projects is now being carried out. About 1 billion euros will be distributed. 311 applications have been sent i...

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Clariant is working with Pertamina (Indonesia's state-owned oil and gas corporation) to evaluate and test the feasibility of Clariant's sunliquid® technology to process available regional feedstocks in Indonesia into cellulosic ethanol . Press release: - “ Clariant collaborates with Indonesia's Pertamina in advanced biofuels assessment ”, 19/04/2021. Related posts: - “ Harbin Hulan Sino-Dan Jianye Bio-Energy plans to build a cellulosic ethanol plant in China with Clariant’s sunliquid® technology ”, 02/02/2021. - “ Clariant moves forward with the installation of the Valmet pretreatment BioTrac at the cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Podari ”, 05/04/2021. Figure 1. Pertamina's project team visiting Clariant's pre-commercial sunliquid® plant in Straubing at the end of 2019 (Photo: Clariant) In Indonesia, ethanol demand is expected to increase dramatically, spurred primarily by a nationwide E10 ethanol blending mand...

English version Tipo de entrada: NOTICIA BREVE. Kemin Biofuels (parte de Kemin Industries ) ha ampliado su portafolio de enzimas con ZyloCell™, una celulasa seca para uso en plantas de bioetanol que descompone la celulosa en la fibra del grano de maíz. Nota de prensa: “ Kemin Launches Dry Cellulase ZyloCell™ to Support Biofuels Industries' Low-carbon Initiatives ”, 25/03/2021. Entrada relacionada: “ Etanol de la fibra del grano de maíz – Las tecnologías 1,5G a estudio ”, 26/04/2019. ZyloCell es una alternativa rentable a la formulación líquida de enzimas. Además de una mayor producción de bioetanol, proporciona a los productores de bioetanol los siguientes beneficios: estabilidad de 12 meses para una vida útil más larga sin refrigeración; concentrado para menos espacio de almacenamiento; polvo seco para un manejo más fácil y una dosificación precisa.

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Kemin Biofuels (part of Kemin Industries ) has expanded its enzyme portfolio with ZyloCell™, a dry cellulase for use in bioethanol plants that breaks down cellulose in corn kernel fiber. Press release: “ Kemin Launches Dry Cellulase ZyloCell™ to Support Biofuels Industries' Low-carbon Initiatives ”, 25/03/2021. Related post: “ Corn fiber ethanol – Examining 1.5G technologies ”, 26/04/2019. ZyloCell is a cost-effective alternative to liquid enzyme formulation. In addition to increased bioethanol production, it provides bioethanol producers the following benefits: 12-month stability for longer shelf life without refrigeration; concentrated for less storage space; dry powder for easier handling and accurate dosing.

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Clariant is moving closer to the start-up of its commercial scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Podari (southwest Romania). Valmet is the supplier of the biomass pretreatment system BioTrac which plays a key role in the operation. Press release: “ Clariant progressing with Valmet Pretreatment BioTrac™ for 2nd generation bioethanol production in Romania ”, 18/03/2021. Related posts: - “ Clariant starts the construction of its cellulosic ethanol plant in Romania ”, 17/09/2018. - “ Valmet to deliver biomass pretreatment system to Clariant cellulosic ethanol plant in Romania ”, 06/11/2018. Cellulosic ethanol – The basics: Conversion pathway - Biochemical . Figure 1. Clariant moves forward with the installation of the Valmet pretreatment BioTrac at the cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Podari (taken from the press release) Despite the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the work on the construction site continues and is fully complying with all ...

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IndialOil) plans to set up cellulosic ethanol biorefineries in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh (India). News (The Times of India): “ IOC to set up mega biorefineries in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh ”, 25/02/2021. CELLULOSIC ETHANOL These biorefineries, which will produce ethanol from agricultural wastes like wheat and paddy straw, are part of IndianOil’s plans to set up 12 biorefineries across multiple states, including Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. According to the news, the biorefineries will have a capacity of 500 kL/day and are slated to come up at an investment of Rs 600 crore (around 68 M€) each. The company has approached the Telangana government which has identified two parcels of land for the project and is yet to approach the Andhra Pradesh government. The Telangana biorefinery would set up within 200 km of Hyderabad’s periphery. The facilities will take at least 18 months to come up after IndianOi...

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. NREL researchers developed a simple and highly selective analytical procedure for the determination of cellulosic glucan content in samples that contain both cellulose and starch. This method eliminates the unacceptably large compounding errors of current two-measurement methods. Press release: “ NREL Develops New Method to Better Understand Ethanol Production ”, 05/02/2021. Article: Sluiter, J.B., Michel, K.P., Addison, B. et al. Direct determination of cellulosic glucan content in starch-containing samples . Cellulose (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-020-03652-2. Figure 1. An NREL researcher observes enzymes breaking down cellulose into glucose (credits: Pat Corkery / NREL) The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office funded researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and collaborated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to addres...