- Email: [email protected]
BlueFire Renewables secures 15-year off-take agreement with Tenaska BioFuels for Mississippi cellulosic ethanol plant
FOCUS MMF into FDCA. A pilot plant is planned for 2011. Other companies, meanwhile, integrate high-throughput screening and chemocatalytic techniques to produce existing chemicals. One of them is Rennovia, which has developed a paper chemistry suggesting that glucose can be converted into adipic acid. Adipic acid is used as a feedstock for nylon 6,6 and polyurethanes. Global production of adipic acid stands at roughly 4.8 bn/y. The firm began the high-throughput catalyst screening in Dec 2009 and started producing gram volumes of adipic acid by Feb 2010. Rennovia plans to have a laboratoryscale pilot unit in 2010 and hopes to have a commercial-scale plant operating in 2012 or 2013. The firm is aiming at full commercialization of the technology, which is said to be more economical than the petrochemical route considering the high prices of oil, by 2014. Chemical and Engineering News, 20 Sep 2010, 88 (38), 15-17
BlueFire Renewables secures 15-year off-take agreement with Tenaska BioFuels for Mississippi cellulosic ethanol plant BlueFire Renewables Inc (BRI) has announced an off-take agreement with Tenaska BioFuels LLC (TBL) for the purchase and sale of all ethanol produced at BRI’s planned cellulosic ethanol plant in Fulton, MS. Pricing of the 15-year contract follows a marketbased formula structured to capture the premium allowed for cellulosic ethanol compared to corn-based ethanol giving BRI a credit worthy contract to support financing of the project. Despite the long-term nature of the contract, BRI is not precluded from the upside in the coming years as fuel prices rise. TBL, a marketing affiliate of Tenaska, provides procurement and marketing, supply chain management, physical delivery, and financial services. The Fulton, MS, project will allow BRI to use green and wood wastes available in the region as feedstock for the ethanol plant, which is designed to produce approximately 19 M gallon/y of ethanol. Another fully permitted and shovel-ready plant in Lancaster, CA, will use post-sorted cellulosic wastes diverted from Southern CA’s landfills
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to produce approximately 3.9 M gallon/y of fuel-grade ethanol. BRI was established to deploy a commercially ready, patented and proven Concentrated Acid Hydrolysis Technology Process for the profitable conversion of cellulosic waste materials to renewable fuel sources. TBL is one of the leading independent power producers in US. Press release from: BlueFire Renewables Inc. Tel: +1 949 588 3767. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: http://www.bfreinc.com (20 Sep 2010)
Cobalt signs Fluor for biobutanol plants Fluor has secured a contract to provide engineering consultancy services for the construction of full-scale biobutanol plants for USA-based biofuels company Cobalt Technologies. The contract also requires Fluor to render various engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance services for Cobalt’s demonstration and commercial-scale butanol manufacturing facilities. The plants will be based on Cobalt’s continuous fermentation process technology, which entails the conversion of cellulosic forest waste and mill residues into n-butanol. TCE (formerly The Chemical Engineer), Sep 2010, (831), 18
Danisco results 1Q 2010: Genencor For its 1Q 2010 (period ends 31 Jul 2010), the Genencor segment of Danisco A/S has reported revenue of DKR 1268 M (DKR 1104 M for its 1Q 2009), EBITDA of DKR 299 M (DKR 254 M), and EBIT of DKR 248 M (DKR 203 M). All major product areas contributed to organic growth. Sales of enzymes for grain processing including bioethanol production continued at a very high level. Enzymes for both food and animal nutrition solutions progressed well, and the company saw continued growth for Fabric & Household Care. Genencor saw growth in all key geographies, especially in the Americas and RoW. The continued good demand for Genencor’s product offering means that the company is now running at high capacity utilisation rates in several key areas and will expand its capacity gradually by debottlenecking and investing in its anchor plants going forward. In Jun
2010, Genencor and Huntsman Textile Effects announced the results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on GENTLE POWER BLEACH, the bleaching system introduced into the textile pretreatment market in 2009. The results of the LCA, the first of its kind, clearly demonstrated the impact and relevance of enzymatic alternatives to existing technologies for the textile processing industry: reducing water and energy usage while increasing performance. DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC (DDCE), the company’s partnership with DuPont on second-generation bioethanol, continued to work towards integrated solutions that will not only ensure more efficient enzyme use and also lower unit costs but strive towards reducing the overall CAPEX requirement of the ethanol producers of the future. DDCE is developing the supply chain for sustainable, affordable cellulosic feedstocks. In addition to a switchgrass programme with the University of Tennessee and Genera Energy, which includes more than 6000 acres of energy crops, DDCE is harvesting corn stover in the US Midwest. DDCE is also working in close collaboration with farmers and equipment and harvest services providers to collect, transport, store, and test thousands of acres across the Midwest. The company’s BioIsoprene collaboration with Goodyear continued in the R&D phase with ambitions to reach important milestones during 2011. Danisco Results 1Q 2010, 21 Sep 2010, 10-11 (Danisco A/S, Langebrogade 1, PO Box 17, DK-1001 Copenhagen K, Denmark. Tel: +45 3266 2000. Fax: +45 3266 2175. Website: http://www.danisco.com)
Petrobras and KL Energy collaborate on cellulosic-derived ethanol Petrobras has signed an agreement for the optimization of KL Energy’s cellulosic ethanol production technology. The process uses sugar cane bagasse as its raw material. KL Energy has been testing its thermomechanical pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis technology since 2008 at a demonstration unit at Upton, WY. This uses wood residue as raw material. Petrobras will provide funding of $11 M (€8.7 M) to adapt the process to bagasse. The partners plan to build an industrial-scale plant at one of Petrobras’ sugar cane
NOVEMBER 2010
BlueFire Renewables secures 15-year off-take agreement with Tenaska BioFuels for Mississippi cellulosic ethanol plant BlueFire Renewables Inc (BRI) has announced an off-take agreement with Tenaska BioFuels LLC (TBL) for the purchase and sale of all ethanol produced at BRI’s planned cellulosic ethanol plant in Fulton, MS. Pricing of the 15-year contract follows a marketbased formula structured to capture the premium allowed for cellulosic ethanol compared to corn-based ethanol giving BRI a credit worthy contract to support financing of the project. Despite the long-term nature of the contract, BRI is not precluded from the upside in the coming years as fuel prices rise. TBL, a marketing affiliate of Tenaska, provides procurement and marketing, supply chain management, physical delivery, and financial services. The Fulton, MS, project will allow BRI to use green and wood wastes available in the region as feedstock for the ethanol plant, which is designed to produce approximately 19 M gallon/y of ethanol. Another fully permitted and shovel-ready plant in Lancaster, CA, will use post-sorted cellulosic wastes diverted from Southern CA’s landfills
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to produce approximately 3.9 M gallon/y of fuel-grade ethanol. BRI was established to deploy a commercially ready, patented and proven Concentrated Acid Hydrolysis Technology Process for the profitable conversion of cellulosic waste materials to renewable fuel sources. TBL is one of the leading independent power producers in US. Press release from: BlueFire Renewables Inc. Tel: +1 949 588 3767. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: http://www.bfreinc.com (20 Sep 2010)
Cobalt signs Fluor for biobutanol plants Fluor has secured a contract to provide engineering consultancy services for the construction of full-scale biobutanol plants for USA-based biofuels company Cobalt Technologies. The contract also requires Fluor to render various engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance services for Cobalt’s demonstration and commercial-scale butanol manufacturing facilities. The plants will be based on Cobalt’s continuous fermentation process technology, which entails the conversion of cellulosic forest waste and mill residues into n-butanol. TCE (formerly The Chemical Engineer), Sep 2010, (831), 18
Danisco results 1Q 2010: Genencor For its 1Q 2010 (period ends 31 Jul 2010), the Genencor segment of Danisco A/S has reported revenue of DKR 1268 M (DKR 1104 M for its 1Q 2009), EBITDA of DKR 299 M (DKR 254 M), and EBIT of DKR 248 M (DKR 203 M). All major product areas contributed to organic growth. Sales of enzymes for grain processing including bioethanol production continued at a very high level. Enzymes for both food and animal nutrition solutions progressed well, and the company saw continued growth for Fabric & Household Care. Genencor saw growth in all key geographies, especially in the Americas and RoW. The continued good demand for Genencor’s product offering means that the company is now running at high capacity utilisation rates in several key areas and will expand its capacity gradually by debottlenecking and investing in its anchor plants going forward. In Jun
2010, Genencor and Huntsman Textile Effects announced the results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on GENTLE POWER BLEACH, the bleaching system introduced into the textile pretreatment market in 2009. The results of the LCA, the first of its kind, clearly demonstrated the impact and relevance of enzymatic alternatives to existing technologies for the textile processing industry: reducing water and energy usage while increasing performance. DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC (DDCE), the company’s partnership with DuPont on second-generation bioethanol, continued to work towards integrated solutions that will not only ensure more efficient enzyme use and also lower unit costs but strive towards reducing the overall CAPEX requirement of the ethanol producers of the future. DDCE is developing the supply chain for sustainable, affordable cellulosic feedstocks. In addition to a switchgrass programme with the University of Tennessee and Genera Energy, which includes more than 6000 acres of energy crops, DDCE is harvesting corn stover in the US Midwest. DDCE is also working in close collaboration with farmers and equipment and harvest services providers to collect, transport, store, and test thousands of acres across the Midwest. The company’s BioIsoprene collaboration with Goodyear continued in the R&D phase with ambitions to reach important milestones during 2011. Danisco Results 1Q 2010, 21 Sep 2010, 10-11 (Danisco A/S, Langebrogade 1, PO Box 17, DK-1001 Copenhagen K, Denmark. Tel: +45 3266 2000. Fax: +45 3266 2175. Website: http://www.danisco.com)
Petrobras and KL Energy collaborate on cellulosic-derived ethanol Petrobras has signed an agreement for the optimization of KL Energy’s cellulosic ethanol production technology. The process uses sugar cane bagasse as its raw material. KL Energy has been testing its thermomechanical pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis technology since 2008 at a demonstration unit at Upton, WY. This uses wood residue as raw material. Petrobras will provide funding of $11 M (€8.7 M) to adapt the process to bagasse. The partners plan to build an industrial-scale plant at one of Petrobras’ sugar cane
NOVEMBER 2010