- Email: [email protected]
SRDIC licenses dimethyl ether technology to Baota Group
F O C US food ethanol feedstocks used by the facility are expected to include switch grass, grass seed straw, small grain straw, and corn stalks alone and in combination with a variety of traditional starch and sugar sources. The 9000 sq ft pilot plant facility is expected to be fully operational in 2Q 2008. Press release from: AE Biofuels Inc, 20400 Stevens Creek Boulevard, Suite 700, Cupertino, CA 95014, USA. Tel: +1 408 213 0940. Fax: +1 408 252 8044. Website: http://www.aebiofuels.com (19 Feb 2008)
Enerkem announces progress on construction of Canada’s first cellulosic ethanol plant Enerkem announced progress on the construction of its commercial demonstration plant for the production of cellulosic ethanol. The Enerkem plant in Westbury, Canada, will be one of the first plants in the world to make cellulosic ethanol on an industrial scale. It will produce 1.5 M gallons of cellulosic ethanol from creosoted urban wood (end-of-life cycle power poles). This first demonstration plant represents a major step for Enerkem, coming after more than 3000 hours of testing since 2003 at its pilot plant in Sherbrooke, Canada. Construction on the Westbury plant began in Oct 2007 and will be completed during fall of 2008. The next phase consists of installing the gasification and gas conditioning equipment, which is at the core of Enerkem’s technology. This phase will be followed by the construction of the catalytic islands where the syngas will be reformed into cellulosic ethanol. This plant is the first in a series of industrial projects to be announced in the months ahead which will be using municipal solid waste and for which the company will be paid to use in its process. Unlike traditional ethanol, which is produced from cereals or plants that are part of the food chain, cellulosic ethanol is made from materials that have a lignocellulosic biomass, such as wood residues and solid urban wastes, known as residual materials. Headquartered in Montreal, PQ, with engineering offices in Sherbrooke, PQ, Enerkem is a leader in the production of cellulosic biofuels. Press release from: Enerkem Technologies Inc, 615 Boulevard, Rene-Levesque Ouest, Suite 820, Montreal, Quebec H3B 1P5, Canada . Tel: +1 514 875 0284. Fax: +1 514 875 0835. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: http://www.enerkem.com (4 Mar 2008)
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Grace announces expansion to meet growing demand for refining catalysts WR Grace & Co (Grace) announced plans to increase its manufacturing capacity with the expansion of its facility in Lake Charles, LA. The expansion will enable increased production of speciality aluminas, a key raw material in Grace’s premium fluid cracking and hydroprocessing catalysts. The construction is expected to begin in early 2008 and start up in 2009. Grace has increased its investment in R&D by 61% since 2000 and introduced a variety of new and next generation refinery catalysts that help maximize the yield and efficiency of resid feedstocks. Press release from: WR Grace & Co, 7500 Grace Drive, Columbia, MD 21044, USA. Tel: +1 410 531 4514. Website: http://www.grace.com (3 Mar 2008)
SRDIC licenses dimethyl ether technology to Baota Group In China, Ningxia Baota Petrochemical Group has obtained a licence from Southwest Research & Design Institute of Chemical Industry (SRDIC) and Sichuan Tianyi Science & Technology Co Ltd for process technology for a 400,000 tonne/y dimethyl ether (DME) plant. Baota is building the plant in Linhe Comprehensive Industry Park, Ningong Base, Ningxia, and start-up is expected by the end of 2008. The licensed technology, a methanol vapour-phase catalytic dehydration process, has lower steam and energy consumption than alternative processes. Baota is also building a 100,000 tonne/y DME plant in Lingshan Comprehensive Industry Park at a cost of RMB Yuan 30 M. China Chemical Reporter, 26 Feb 2008, 19 (6), 9
Tayca plans to up capacity for titanium dioxide microparticles Tayca Corp is ready to spend an estimated Yen 2 bn ($18.72 M) for its first multipurpose facility that will rise on a site next to the company’s existing facilities in Okayama. The factory will be used for the manufacture of a variety of microparticle powders, ranging from titanium dioxide microparticles to zinc oxide microparticles and photocatalytic titanium dioxide micro-
particles. Construction of the 1200 tonne/y plant has started, with completion and commissioning due in spring 2009. The unit will increase twofold the company’s capacity for microparticle powders to 2600 tonne/y. The company aims to raise sales of its microparticle products and surfacetreated inorganic powders to Yen 3 bn. Japan Chemical Week, 14 Feb 2008, 49 (2453), 2
Technip extends its biofuels leadership with a new biodiesel contract in Malaysia Technip has been awarded by KNM Process Systems Sdn Bhd a contract to provide assistance in the detailed engineering of the fatty acids methyl ester transesterification unit for a biodiesel production plant to be located at the port of Kuantan, Malaysia. This project will be executed by Mission Biofuel Sdn Bhd (investor), KNM (contractor) and Axens (licensor). The unit will produce 250,000 tonne/y of biodiesel from palm oil. It is scheduled to go into production in 3Q 2008. Technip’s operating centre in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) will execute this contract with assistance from the Group’s operating centre in Paris, which has already built six production units in this sector of activity. Press release from: Technip, La Defense, 12 – 92973, Paris, France. Tel: +33 01 47 78 21. Website: http://www.technip.com (4 Mar 2008)
NEW TECHNOLOGY NC State, partners get grant to make low-cost fuels Create liquid fuels out of biomass products like wood waste and sawdust. Prove that this biofuels production technology can be performed on a larger scale than just the lab bench. Then show that the process is cheaper than coaxing ethanol from crops like corn. These are the goals behind a three-year, $3.2 M research project funded by the US DOE that combines the efforts of North Carolina State University, RTI International, and the University of Utah. BT Catalyst, 7 Feb 2008 (North Carolina Biotechnology Center, USA. Website: http://www.ncbiotech.org)
APRIL 2008
Enerkem announces progress on construction of Canada’s first cellulosic ethanol plant Enerkem announced progress on the construction of its commercial demonstration plant for the production of cellulosic ethanol. The Enerkem plant in Westbury, Canada, will be one of the first plants in the world to make cellulosic ethanol on an industrial scale. It will produce 1.5 M gallons of cellulosic ethanol from creosoted urban wood (end-of-life cycle power poles). This first demonstration plant represents a major step for Enerkem, coming after more than 3000 hours of testing since 2003 at its pilot plant in Sherbrooke, Canada. Construction on the Westbury plant began in Oct 2007 and will be completed during fall of 2008. The next phase consists of installing the gasification and gas conditioning equipment, which is at the core of Enerkem’s technology. This phase will be followed by the construction of the catalytic islands where the syngas will be reformed into cellulosic ethanol. This plant is the first in a series of industrial projects to be announced in the months ahead which will be using municipal solid waste and for which the company will be paid to use in its process. Unlike traditional ethanol, which is produced from cereals or plants that are part of the food chain, cellulosic ethanol is made from materials that have a lignocellulosic biomass, such as wood residues and solid urban wastes, known as residual materials. Headquartered in Montreal, PQ, with engineering offices in Sherbrooke, PQ, Enerkem is a leader in the production of cellulosic biofuels. Press release from: Enerkem Technologies Inc, 615 Boulevard, Rene-Levesque Ouest, Suite 820, Montreal, Quebec H3B 1P5, Canada . Tel: +1 514 875 0284. Fax: +1 514 875 0835. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: http://www.enerkem.com (4 Mar 2008)
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Grace announces expansion to meet growing demand for refining catalysts WR Grace & Co (Grace) announced plans to increase its manufacturing capacity with the expansion of its facility in Lake Charles, LA. The expansion will enable increased production of speciality aluminas, a key raw material in Grace’s premium fluid cracking and hydroprocessing catalysts. The construction is expected to begin in early 2008 and start up in 2009. Grace has increased its investment in R&D by 61% since 2000 and introduced a variety of new and next generation refinery catalysts that help maximize the yield and efficiency of resid feedstocks. Press release from: WR Grace & Co, 7500 Grace Drive, Columbia, MD 21044, USA. Tel: +1 410 531 4514. Website: http://www.grace.com (3 Mar 2008)
SRDIC licenses dimethyl ether technology to Baota Group In China, Ningxia Baota Petrochemical Group has obtained a licence from Southwest Research & Design Institute of Chemical Industry (SRDIC) and Sichuan Tianyi Science & Technology Co Ltd for process technology for a 400,000 tonne/y dimethyl ether (DME) plant. Baota is building the plant in Linhe Comprehensive Industry Park, Ningong Base, Ningxia, and start-up is expected by the end of 2008. The licensed technology, a methanol vapour-phase catalytic dehydration process, has lower steam and energy consumption than alternative processes. Baota is also building a 100,000 tonne/y DME plant in Lingshan Comprehensive Industry Park at a cost of RMB Yuan 30 M. China Chemical Reporter, 26 Feb 2008, 19 (6), 9
Tayca plans to up capacity for titanium dioxide microparticles Tayca Corp is ready to spend an estimated Yen 2 bn ($18.72 M) for its first multipurpose facility that will rise on a site next to the company’s existing facilities in Okayama. The factory will be used for the manufacture of a variety of microparticle powders, ranging from titanium dioxide microparticles to zinc oxide microparticles and photocatalytic titanium dioxide micro-
particles. Construction of the 1200 tonne/y plant has started, with completion and commissioning due in spring 2009. The unit will increase twofold the company’s capacity for microparticle powders to 2600 tonne/y. The company aims to raise sales of its microparticle products and surfacetreated inorganic powders to Yen 3 bn. Japan Chemical Week, 14 Feb 2008, 49 (2453), 2
Technip extends its biofuels leadership with a new biodiesel contract in Malaysia Technip has been awarded by KNM Process Systems Sdn Bhd a contract to provide assistance in the detailed engineering of the fatty acids methyl ester transesterification unit for a biodiesel production plant to be located at the port of Kuantan, Malaysia. This project will be executed by Mission Biofuel Sdn Bhd (investor), KNM (contractor) and Axens (licensor). The unit will produce 250,000 tonne/y of biodiesel from palm oil. It is scheduled to go into production in 3Q 2008. Technip’s operating centre in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) will execute this contract with assistance from the Group’s operating centre in Paris, which has already built six production units in this sector of activity. Press release from: Technip, La Defense, 12 – 92973, Paris, France. Tel: +33 01 47 78 21. Website: http://www.technip.com (4 Mar 2008)
NEW TECHNOLOGY NC State, partners get grant to make low-cost fuels Create liquid fuels out of biomass products like wood waste and sawdust. Prove that this biofuels production technology can be performed on a larger scale than just the lab bench. Then show that the process is cheaper than coaxing ethanol from crops like corn. These are the goals behind a three-year, $3.2 M research project funded by the US DOE that combines the efforts of North Carolina State University, RTI International, and the University of Utah. BT Catalyst, 7 Feb 2008 (North Carolina Biotechnology Center, USA. Website: http://www.ncbiotech.org)
APRIL 2008