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Siluria Technologies and Linde announce ethylene technology partnership
F O C U S Lesaffre’s current standing in the firstgeneration fuel ethanol market and will continue innovation in the lignocellulosic ethanol sector. Original Source: Ethanol Producer Magazine, Jun 2014, 20 (6), 20 (Website: http://www.ethanolproducer.com/) © BBI International 2014
Purdue Discovery Park centre awarded DOE grant to advance research into plant biomass biofuel conversion A research centre at Purdue University’s Discovery Park has been awarded a $12 M, four-year grant as part of a $100 M US Department of Energy initiative to accelerate scientific breakthroughs needed to build the 21st century energy economy. The Purdue-led Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels (C3Bio) will use the additional funding to advance methods for converting plant lignocellulosic biomass – the bulk of the plant – to biofuels and other biobased products currently derived from oil by the use of new chemical catalysts and thermal treatments. The centre is part of Discovery Park’s Energy Center and the Bindley Bioscience Center. Joining Purdue as partners of C3Bio are the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Tennessee, and Northeastern University. Original Source: Purdue University, website: http://www.purdue.edu (20 Jun 2014) © Purdue University 2014
SABIC technical urea will reduce diesel emissions SABIC will begin to use Rotoformer technology to produce high quality technical grade urea. In Rotoformer technology, liquid urea will be injected to the exhaust stream before the catalytic converter. This would allow for cleaner diesel engine technology by helping lessen emissions of hazardous nitrogen oxide (NOx) and boost fuel economy. Al Jubail Fertilizer (Al Bayroni), an affiliate firm, is manufacturing urea at a plant which would eventually have an 80,000 tonne/y capacity. Original Source: ICIS Chemical Business, 30 Jun-6 Jul 2014, 285 (25 (GPCA Insight: Jun 2014)), 6 (Website: http://www.icis.com) © Reed Business Information Limited 2014
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Siluria Technologies and Linde announce ethylene technology partnership On 2 Jun 2014, Siluria Technologies, a pioneer in the commercial production of fuels and chemicals made from clean and abundant natural gas, and The Linde Group, a world-leading gases and engineering company, announced that they have entered into a collaboration agreement. The primary objective of the agreement is to combine the respective company’s technologies and expertise into an optimized and integrated package which Linde would license to the petrochemicals industry for both revamps or expansions at existing ethylene plants and for new world scale ethylene plants. Over the past six months Linde has completed an extensive technical and economic diligence process on Siluria’s oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) technology, which catalytically converts methane directly to ethylene. The success of this joint diligence effort resulted in the formation of this strategic relationship. The companies have formed joint teams, which will fully integrate the company’s respective technologies and collaborate through the final scale-up and demonstration of the OCM technology at the previously announced demonstration plant that Siluria is constructing at Braskem’s site in La Porte, TX, US. The companies expect to be offering the technologies to the broader ethylene industry in 2H 2015. Siluria is currently engaged in feasibility studies with selected operating companies in the ethylene industry focused on the initial commercial deployments. Original Source: Linde AG, website: http://www.linde.com (2 Jun 2014)) © The Linde Group 2014
The sugar producers: Sweetwater Energy and Proterro Sweetwater Energy and Proterro use two different methods to produce sugar to supplement fermentation broths for ethanol production. Sweetwater is developing C5 and C6 sugars derived from cellulosic feedstocks. Proterro plans to supply ethanol producers with sucrose produced by its patented
cyanobacteria. Sweetwater is nearing commercialization and has a demonstration plant already in place in Rochester, NY, US. It plans to break ground for a $25 M commercialscale facility in Wisconsin in spring 2014, to produce cellulosic sugars. The company has also signed offtake agreements with Ace Ethanol LLC in Stanley, WI, US; Front Range Energy LLC in Windsor, CO, US; and Pacific Ethanol Stockton LLC in Stockton, CA, US. Proterro’s unique sugar platform uses a solar-powered photobioreactor where microbes convert carbon dioxide and nutrients into easily fermentable sucrose. The company estimates a production cost around 5 cents/pound. A pilot facility in Orlando, FL, US, with four full-size reactors has been operating since fall 2013, collecting data to confirm those estimates. Proterro is currently raising capital for a demonstration-scale project and is seeking potential partners with waste carbon dioxide to host it. Original Source: Ethanol Producer Magazine, Apr 2014, 20 (4), 38-41 (Website: http://www.ethanolproducer.com/) © BBI International 2014
Canadian company pursues hempbased ethanol production Canadian company Syngar Technologies Inc has revealed two jv projects aimed at making hemp-based cellulosic ethanol. Syngar had previously licensed Pulsed Low Ultra Sound Wave (PLUSWave) technology, which simulates fermentation growth of algae, fungus, bacteria, or yeast microorganisms using ultrasound frequencies. In Apr 2014, Cellunol Inc was established by Syngar and ANW Inc, a South Africabased company that owns Oxy-Hydro Fragmentation, a cellulosic pretreatment technology. In May 2014, another jv was formed with Discovery Minerals Ltd that involves a pilot-scale testing of using waste hemp materials as feedstock for on-farm cellulosic ethanol production. Funding to set up the pilot plant will be provided by ANW and Discovery Minerals. Original Source: Ethanol Producer Magazine, Jul 2014, 20 (7), 28 (Website: http://www.ethanolproducer.com/) © BBI International 2014
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Purdue Discovery Park centre awarded DOE grant to advance research into plant biomass biofuel conversion A research centre at Purdue University’s Discovery Park has been awarded a $12 M, four-year grant as part of a $100 M US Department of Energy initiative to accelerate scientific breakthroughs needed to build the 21st century energy economy. The Purdue-led Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels (C3Bio) will use the additional funding to advance methods for converting plant lignocellulosic biomass – the bulk of the plant – to biofuels and other biobased products currently derived from oil by the use of new chemical catalysts and thermal treatments. The centre is part of Discovery Park’s Energy Center and the Bindley Bioscience Center. Joining Purdue as partners of C3Bio are the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Tennessee, and Northeastern University. Original Source: Purdue University, website: http://www.purdue.edu (20 Jun 2014) © Purdue University 2014
SABIC technical urea will reduce diesel emissions SABIC will begin to use Rotoformer technology to produce high quality technical grade urea. In Rotoformer technology, liquid urea will be injected to the exhaust stream before the catalytic converter. This would allow for cleaner diesel engine technology by helping lessen emissions of hazardous nitrogen oxide (NOx) and boost fuel economy. Al Jubail Fertilizer (Al Bayroni), an affiliate firm, is manufacturing urea at a plant which would eventually have an 80,000 tonne/y capacity. Original Source: ICIS Chemical Business, 30 Jun-6 Jul 2014, 285 (25 (GPCA Insight: Jun 2014)), 6 (Website: http://www.icis.com) © Reed Business Information Limited 2014
AUGUST 2014
O N
C ATA LY S T S
Siluria Technologies and Linde announce ethylene technology partnership On 2 Jun 2014, Siluria Technologies, a pioneer in the commercial production of fuels and chemicals made from clean and abundant natural gas, and The Linde Group, a world-leading gases and engineering company, announced that they have entered into a collaboration agreement. The primary objective of the agreement is to combine the respective company’s technologies and expertise into an optimized and integrated package which Linde would license to the petrochemicals industry for both revamps or expansions at existing ethylene plants and for new world scale ethylene plants. Over the past six months Linde has completed an extensive technical and economic diligence process on Siluria’s oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) technology, which catalytically converts methane directly to ethylene. The success of this joint diligence effort resulted in the formation of this strategic relationship. The companies have formed joint teams, which will fully integrate the company’s respective technologies and collaborate through the final scale-up and demonstration of the OCM technology at the previously announced demonstration plant that Siluria is constructing at Braskem’s site in La Porte, TX, US. The companies expect to be offering the technologies to the broader ethylene industry in 2H 2015. Siluria is currently engaged in feasibility studies with selected operating companies in the ethylene industry focused on the initial commercial deployments. Original Source: Linde AG, website: http://www.linde.com (2 Jun 2014)) © The Linde Group 2014
The sugar producers: Sweetwater Energy and Proterro Sweetwater Energy and Proterro use two different methods to produce sugar to supplement fermentation broths for ethanol production. Sweetwater is developing C5 and C6 sugars derived from cellulosic feedstocks. Proterro plans to supply ethanol producers with sucrose produced by its patented
cyanobacteria. Sweetwater is nearing commercialization and has a demonstration plant already in place in Rochester, NY, US. It plans to break ground for a $25 M commercialscale facility in Wisconsin in spring 2014, to produce cellulosic sugars. The company has also signed offtake agreements with Ace Ethanol LLC in Stanley, WI, US; Front Range Energy LLC in Windsor, CO, US; and Pacific Ethanol Stockton LLC in Stockton, CA, US. Proterro’s unique sugar platform uses a solar-powered photobioreactor where microbes convert carbon dioxide and nutrients into easily fermentable sucrose. The company estimates a production cost around 5 cents/pound. A pilot facility in Orlando, FL, US, with four full-size reactors has been operating since fall 2013, collecting data to confirm those estimates. Proterro is currently raising capital for a demonstration-scale project and is seeking potential partners with waste carbon dioxide to host it. Original Source: Ethanol Producer Magazine, Apr 2014, 20 (4), 38-41 (Website: http://www.ethanolproducer.com/) © BBI International 2014
Canadian company pursues hempbased ethanol production Canadian company Syngar Technologies Inc has revealed two jv projects aimed at making hemp-based cellulosic ethanol. Syngar had previously licensed Pulsed Low Ultra Sound Wave (PLUSWave) technology, which simulates fermentation growth of algae, fungus, bacteria, or yeast microorganisms using ultrasound frequencies. In Apr 2014, Cellunol Inc was established by Syngar and ANW Inc, a South Africabased company that owns Oxy-Hydro Fragmentation, a cellulosic pretreatment technology. In May 2014, another jv was formed with Discovery Minerals Ltd that involves a pilot-scale testing of using waste hemp materials as feedstock for on-farm cellulosic ethanol production. Funding to set up the pilot plant will be provided by ANW and Discovery Minerals. Original Source: Ethanol Producer Magazine, Jul 2014, 20 (7), 28 (Website: http://www.ethanolproducer.com/) © BBI International 2014
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