BioRefineries Blog

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. A.P. Moller – Maersk , through its corporate venture arm Maersk Growth , has invested in California-based WasteFuel (a start-up focused on turning waste into sustainable aviation fuel, biomethanol and renewable natural gas) to develop green methanol production. Press release: “ Maersk invests in WasteFuel to develop green bio-methanol production in the Americas and Asia ”, 08/09/2021. Related posts: “ WasteFuel Philippines is evaluating the feasibility of a waste-to-fuel project in Luzon ”, 27/05/2021. Figure 1. Maersk invests in WasteFuel to develop renewable methanol production Maersk’s investment will enable WasteFuel to develop biorefineries to produce sustainable fuels from unrecoverable waste that would otherwise degrade, and release methane and other harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Maersk is confident that biobased methanol is one of the promising fuels of the future and it can play an important role in decarbonis...

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Biotechnology company Circa Group is offering its levoglucosenone (LGO) manufacturing capability to experts looking for building blocks for coronavirus treatments, including ribonolactone. Press release: “ Versatile platform chemical levoglucosenone provides new opportunities for coronavirus treatments ”, 6/4/2020. Related posts: - “ Biosolvent plant project of Circa and Norske Skog receives support from the Australian Government ”, 15/3/2018. - “ Circa demonstration plant produces first batch of Cyrene® biosolvent ”, 14/2/2019. Figure 1. Levoglucosenone (extracted from the press release) Established in 2006, Circa converts waste biomass into advanced biobased chemicals with its proprietary Furacell TM process at its FC5 prototype plant in Tasmania (Australia), with partner Norske Skog. Its developing product portfolio includes, flavours, biopolymers, and biosolvents including Cyrene TM , an alternative to trad...

Versión en Español Type of post: RESEARCH NEWS. A team of researchers at the University of Sydney , University of Exeter and University of Adelaide has found that the agave plant (used to make tequila) could be established in semi-arid Australia as an environmentally friendly solution to Australia’s transport fuel shortage. News (University of Sidney): “ ' Tequila' powered biofuels more efficient than corn or sugar ”, 2/4/2020. Article (Journal of Cleaner Production): “ Agave: A promising feedstock for biofuels in the water-energy-food-environment (WEFE) nexus ”. Related post: “ Queensland’s BAP endorses the new biorefinery of MSF Sugar ”, 13/7/2017. Figure 1. Associate Professor Daniel Tan in Ayr (Queensland) in front of agave plants (extracted from the news) University of Sydney agronomist Associate Professor Daniel Tan with international and Australian colleagues have analysed the potential to prod...

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS. Futurity has finalized a licensing agreement with MetGen Oy . Cooperation will allow the development of a full range of high value lignin-based products including resins and adhesives, foams, composites, biobased chemicals and polymers. Press release: “ From tree to money faster and more efficiently than ever: Futurity to license Metgen's award winning METNIN technology for lignin valorization ”, 9/3/2020. Figure 1. Futurity to license Metgen's METNIN technology for lignin valorization Futurity and its lignocellulosic biorefinery model Futurity is in the process of establishing New Zealand's first advanced commercial biorefinery in Tairāwhiti-Gisborne. This plant will be the first of a number of biorefineries to be constructed around New Zealand. Its technology is based on two licensed processes: -  Futuration™: Assisted by heat, steam, pressure and enzymes, it digests the tree into its original building ...

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Licella Holdings has been awarded 500,000 Australian dollars of the Queensland Waste to Biofutures (W2B) Fund for a research and feasibility strudy related to a future biorefinery which turns sugarcane waste into sustainable fuel. The W2B Fund provides 5 million Australian dollars to boost the development of waste to biofutures projects in Queensland. Queensland Government media statement: “ Grant supports sugarcane waste research for Burdekin biorefinery ”, 27/2/2020. Figure 1. Licella receives grant from the Queensland Waste to Biofutures Fund for sugarcane waste valorization project Licella will work with the University of Queensland , Burdekin Renewable Fuels and other project partners to test the conversion of sugar cane wastes and residues, utilising its Cat-HTR technology , into biofuels with the potential for marine and aviation uses. If the outcome of the feasibility project is positive, a full-scale biorefi...

Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Gevo, Inc. has been awarded 159,000 Australian dollars of the Queensland Waste to Biofutures (W2B) Fund to support the assessment of a 2G feedstock to biofuel project in Queensland (Australia). The W2B Fund provides 5 million Australian dollars to boost the development of waste to biofutures projects in Queensland. Queensland Government media statement: “ Grant secures take-off for sustainable aviation fuel project ”, 27/2/2020. Gevo press release: “ Gevo Secures Funding from Queensland Waste to Biofutures (W2B) Fund ”, 27/2/2020. Related posts: - “ Gevo and Lufthansa sign agreement for commercial supply of renewable Alcohol-To-Jet Fuel ”, 8/9/2016. - “ Air TOTAL and Gevo enter into agreement on producing and supplying sustainable aviation fuel ”, 17/8/2019. - “ Gevo signs sustainable aviation fuel sales agreement with Scandinavian Airline System ”, 19/11/2019. Figure 1. Gevo supplied the renewable fuel used in...

Type of post: NEWS. Queensland University of Technology (QUT) research on biorefining has received a major boost in the form of funding for the Phase 2 of the Biorefineries for Profit project. Press release: “ Funding boost to commercialise biorefinery products ”, 9/9/2019. Figure 1. Professor Ian O'Hara (QUT’s Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities) at the Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Plant (taken from the press release) QUT leads the research and development activities of this project which is supported by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program. Phase 2 will investigate the critical issue of turning sugarcane and cotton by-products into higher-value products (highly digestible animal feeds, feed supplements and industrial chemicals). Three of the most promising technologies from Phase 1 have been selected to progress towards commerciali...

Type of post: NEWS IN BREAF. Gevo and Leaf Resources have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) for exploring the potential use of cellulosic derived sugars and glycerol from Leaf and the ability to convert these to hydrocarbon molecules useful as fuels or chemicals. Press release: “ Gevo and Leaf Resources Sign a Joint Development Agreement for Potential use of Cellulosic Derived Sugars to Convert to Hydrocarbon Molecules ”, 10/9/2019. More posts: Gevo . More posts: Leaf Resources . Figure 1. Gevo and Leaf Resources sign agreement on cellulosic sugars conversion The JDA is structured around three phases of joint work designed to establish a bankable project. Phase 1 will develop the feasibility of a potential facility, followed by phases investigating the commercial development and commercialization of the project. Gevo and Leaf will carry their own costs during phase 1 of the project, with further funding to be determined by a future written agreement af...

Type of post: NEWS. Leaf Resources Limited has recently announced advancements in its two main projects. Below, the highlights are summarized. Source: ASX (Australian Securities Exchange). Related posts: - “ Leaf signs land purchase option for a biorefinery project in Malaysia ”, 20/11/2017. - “ Leaf and B&G sign MOU for the feedstock supply of the first Malaysian Glycell biorefinery ”, 16/7/2018. Completion of a prefeasibility study on a second-generation commercial biorefinery in Queensland - The study assessed plans to develop a biomanufacturing hub in a sugarcane producing region of Queensland. The proposed biorefinery would use Leaf’s patented Glycell™ technology to speed up and reduce the cost of converting plant waste, in this case sugarcane fibre, into sustainable chemicals, biofuels and bioplastics. - There are currently 12 million bone dry tons of available biomass in Queensland (more than 90% from the sugar cane industry and 80% produced in North ...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. One year ago, the Blog noted the plans of Mercurius Biorefining (Mercurius) to develop and commercialise its patented process (REACH technology) to produce cost-effective drop-in biofuels and biochemicals from agricultural wastes in Queensland (Australia). The abundance of feedstocks coupled with the Queensland Government’s continued commitment to build a strong biofutures industry tipped the scales in favour of this Australian region. According to a recent announcement, the first step of the commercialisation process – the construction of a pilot biorefinery – is set to go ahead after a funding injection from the regional government. Government statement: “ Gladstone biorefinery pilot plant gets the go-ahead ”, 13/2/2019. Related post: “ Mercurius Biorefining plans to establish pilot and demo plants in Queensland ”, 23/2/2018. Figure 1. Mercurius pilot biorefinery will be co-located on the Northern Oil Refinery at Yarwun (Gladstone, Queen...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. The FC5 (50 tons/year) demonstration plant of Circa Group (Circa) and Norske Skog has been successfully commissioned and operated end-to-end in Tasmania (Australia). The facility is starting to produce a steady stream of 99% pure Cyrene. Press release: “ Circa Group’s Commercial Demonstration Plant Comes Online and Produces First Batch of 99% Pure Cyrene® ”, 12/02/2019. Related post: “ Biosolvent plant project of Circa and Norske Skog receives support from the Australian Government ”, 15/3/2018. Figure 1. Sample of Cyrene (taken from “ New Specialty Chemicals from Lignocellulose - from Concept to Commercial Reality ” and adapted) Cyrene is a non-toxic solvent made from cellulosic wastes. It is an alternative to traditional dipolar aprotic solvents, which are used in large volumes and are under intense regulatory pressure due their toxicity. In this sense, Circa is one of the partners of the project ReSolve (BBI JU), which aims to repl...

Type of post: FLASH NEWS. - The Queensland Government has announced a package of 25 million AUD (approximately, 15.7 M€) to Far Northern Milling Pty Ltd to assist in the establishment of an innovative biorefinery. - According to the information disclosed, if successful, this project will result in the development of a facility in the which will use the latest in green chemical technology and help underpin the long-term future of Mossman sugar mill (located in Far North, the northernmost part of the state of Queensland). - The package includes 4 million AUD to complete the necessary engineering studies for the biorefinery and provide executive support. Press release: “ Support package to secure future of Mossman Mill and fuel potential new bio-refinery for state’s Far North ”, 21/12/2018. More posts about Queensland Biofutures . Figure 1. Mossman sugar mill. Far Northern Milling recently bought this mill from Mackay Sugar Limited. The planned biorefinery could prov...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. The Endeavour Fund Investment Plan is a program of the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment of New Zealand that invests in research projects that aim to improve the lives of the New Zealanders by enhancing the economy, the environment and the society. In the last edition, a total of 249.1 million NZD has been awarded to 69 new research projects (see press release ). The “Bark Biorefinery” of Scion is one of them. This organisation is a Crown Research Institute (CRI), a government-owned company that carries out scientific research for the benefit of New Zealand. It is specialised in research, science and technology development for the forestry, wood and wood-derived materials and other biomaterial sectors. Figure 1. Scion will develop a bark biorefinery concept The full title of the project is “Bark Biorefinery: Unlocking new hydrophobic polymers”, it will last 5 years and have a contract value of 9.98 million NZD. It seeks to d...

Type of post: NEWS. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) on behalf of the Australian Government will fund a study to investigate the feasibility of building a biorefinery that produces advanced biofuels through a ground-breaking technology (see press release , 24/07/2018). Company Boral Timber (subsidiary of Boral Limited). Boral is an international building products and construction materials group. Feasibility study Total cost 1.2 million A$. ARENA fund 0.5 million A$. Proposed biorefinery (if the study is successful) Location Adjacent to the Boral Timber Hardwood Sawmill at Herons Creek near Port Macquarie (Mid North Coast of New South Wales). Feedstocks and processing capacity 50,000 tons of sawmill residues. The residues include sawdust, remnant woodchips, shavings and offcuts (currently utilised for lower value uses such as landscaping and boiler fuel). ...

Type of post: NEWS. Cyrene™ is an environmentally friendly, sustainably produced solvent that has the potential to replace fossil based solvents currently used in the pharmaceutical and agrichemical industries. The Melbourne-based chemical technology R&D company Circa Group has developed a process to manufacture this biosolvent from cellulosic waste. In 2017, the team established a 50 tons per year prototype plant (FC5) in cooperation with Norske Skog . This Norwegian firm, with headquarters in Oslo, is one of the world’s largest producers of publication papers. In Australasia, Norske Skog owns and operates mills at Boyer (Tasmania), Albury (New South Wales) and Kawerau (New Zealand). According to news published in Print21 (business magazine and online news service for the printing and graphic arts industries in Australia and New Zealand), the Federal Government of Australia is investing 1.5 M$ in a feasibility study for the project’s next stage scale-up which is being ...

Type of post: NEWS. Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is testing a novel technology called REACH which has been developed by the US company Mercurius Biorefining (Mercurius) to convert biomass into jet and diesel fuels. On 20 th February, the Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning of Queensland (Cameron Dick) joined the CEO of Mercurius (Karl Seck) at Brisbane’s QUT Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities (CTCB) to view the results of this scientific testing and discussing a plan to establish a pilot plant in Queensland area (see media statements , 20/2/2018). Plans for establishing pilot and demo plants The REACH technology could enable the manufacturing of renewable jet fuel and diesel made from sugarcane waste across Queensland under a project supported by the State Government. During the visit, Karl Seck underlined the company’s intention to use the State of Queensland as its biomanufacturing hub. They selected it a...

Type of post: NEWS. Ethanol Technologies Limited (Ethtec) is developing a process for the production of ethanol and other high-value fermentation products from lignocellulosic materials such as crop stubbles, cotton gin trash, timber residues and sugar cane bagasse. This Australian biofuel company intends to construct a 30 M$ pilot-scale facility (Hunter Pilot Biorefinery) located at Muswellbrook (Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales) as part of a 48 M$ project. According to a recent announcement , the completion of the pilot plant will receive support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). On behalf of the Australian Government, ARENA will fund it with 11.9 M$. The project is also endorsed by several partners: - Jiangsu Jintongling Fluid Machinery Technology Company Limited . Its financial contribution (11.9 M$ in matching funding) will play a part in the construction of the pilot plant and its overall involvement in the project will assist in commercial...