- Email: [email protected]
UOP and Indian Oil Corp to collaborate on biofuels projects in India
F O C U S they should reach up to €1.25 bn, thus exceeding the record level of 2008. Operating profits will be up by an even greater percentage. Handelsblatt Wirtschafts- und Finanzzeitung, 31 Mar 2010, (63), 27 & Chemie Technik (Heidelberg), 31 Mar 2010 (Website: http://www.chemietechnik.de) (in German)
UOP and Indian Oil Corp to collaborate on biofuels projects in India UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, signed a memorandum of understanding with Indian Oil Corp Ltd (IOCL) under which the two companies would collaborate on R&D for a range of biofuels technologies and projects in India. The companies would evaluate installation of a demonstration-scale unit to produce green transportation fuels at an existing IOCL site using non-food feedstocks available within India. IOCL and UOP would also evaluate the viability of pyrolysis oil technology to convert lignocellulosic materials, or plant biomass, into renewable power and heat. IOCL would also focus on R&D for the production of algal oil for use as a feedstock for making green fuels. Press release from: UOP LLC, 25 East Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60017 5017, USA. Tel: +1 847 391 2000. Website: http://www.uop.com (31 Mar 2010)
Verenium reports financial results for the 4Q and year ended 31 Dec 2009 Verenium Corp reported financial results for the 4Q and year ended 31 Dec 2009. In 2009, Verenium made significant progress in several important areas, including – aggressively managing costs to reduce operating expenses and conserve capital. The company established Vercipia Biofuels, a 50-50 jv with BP Biofuels of North America, focused on developing one of the nation’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facilities. Verenium sponsored through Vercipia, the first cellulosic ethanol project to enter the project due diligence phase of the US Department of Energy’s loan guarantee programme. Verenium significantly increased sales of Fuelzyme-LF and Veretase alphaamylase, sequentially and year-overyear, as the corn ethanol industry recovered in late 2009. The company gained commercial traction with
MAY 2010
O N
C ATA LY S T S
Purifine, including a long-term contract with, Molinos Rio de la Plata, one of the world’s largest soybean oil processors. Verenium extended strategic partnerships with Bunge and Alfa Laval, further increasing the company’s global market presence, and completed its research collaboration with Syngenta, gaining rights to several enzyme product candidates in late-stage development, and licence fees and rights to future royalties for a commercial enzyme candidate licensed to a third party. Total revenues for 4Q 2009 were $16.6 M ($19.7 M in 4Q 2008). Total revenues for 2009 were $65.9 M ($69.7 M for 2008). Verenium financials 4Q and 2009, 11 Mar 2010 (Verenium Corp, 55 Cambridge Parkway, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA. Tel: +1 617 674 5300. Website: http://www.verenium.com)
Verenium and BP extend galaxy joint development programme Verenium Corp has extended the joint development programme established in Aug 2008 with partner BP for an additional four months. BP and Verenium will continue their ongoing joint development work to accelerate the development and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol. Verenium will receive $2.5 M/month from BP to co-fund the cellulosic ethanol programme through the end of the extension period. Verenium Corp is a leader in the development and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol, an environmentally-friendly and renewable transportation fuel, as well as high-performance speciality enzymes for applications within the biofuels, industrial, and animal health markets. Press release from: Verenium Corp, 55 Cambridge Parkway, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA. Tel: +1 617 674 5300. Website: http://www.verenium.com (1 Apr 2010)
WR Grace to supply catalysts to Borealis WR Grace, which acquired Borealis’ polyolefin catalyst production plant in Sweden in 2002, has signed a multiyear agreement to supply these catalysts to Borealis. Chemical Week, 5 Apr 2010, 172 (8), 5 & Press release from: WR Grace & Co, 7500 Grace Drive, Columbia, MD 21044, USA. Website: http://www.grace.com) (6 Apr 2010)
NEW PLANTS Virent Energy and Shell scale up biofuel process Virent Energy and Shell have opened their demonstration production unit for biomass-derived high octane biofuels. According to the partners, this is the first semi-industrial scale unit worldwide to use sugars rather than ethanol. The fuel can be added to petrol without any modification to vehicle engines. The unit at Virent’s site at Madison, WI, will produce 38,000 litre/y. It uses Virent BioForming technology which converts sugars into hydrocarbons using a zeolite. Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 29 Mar 2010, (502), 6 (in French) & Chemical Week, 22 Mar 2010, 172 (7), 15
Edmonton gets new ethanol plants Canadian biofuels producer Enerkem is now cooperating with US company Waste Management. The aim is to erect two ethanol plants worth a tripledigit million sum. Construction will be able to start in Edmonton in summer 2010. Another project is on the horizon in Mississippi. Enerkem already has a plant in Westbury, PQ. This processes old telegraph poles into ethanol. Enerkem’s thermochemical technology allows the conversion of solid waste, building timber waste, and agricultural and forest waste into biofuels such as ethanol. The plant in Edmonton will cost C$ 80 M. Some 100,000 tonnes of pre-sorted waste will be processed into 40 M litres of ethanol. State aid amounts to C$ 20 M. The second project also depends on state aid. Enerkem received $50 M from the US energy ministry in Dec 2009 to develop the plant in Mississippi. Project cost is C$ 90 M. Nachrichten für Aussenhandel, 9 Mar 2010 (Website: http://www.nfa-online.de) (in German)
BioTFuel may set up facility at Total site in Dunkerque The BioTFuel consortium may set up a biofuel facility at a site run by Total at Dunkerque, France. Total reported in Oct 2009 that it would host one of the two pilot plants being planned by
5
UOP and Indian Oil Corp to collaborate on biofuels projects in India UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, signed a memorandum of understanding with Indian Oil Corp Ltd (IOCL) under which the two companies would collaborate on R&D for a range of biofuels technologies and projects in India. The companies would evaluate installation of a demonstration-scale unit to produce green transportation fuels at an existing IOCL site using non-food feedstocks available within India. IOCL and UOP would also evaluate the viability of pyrolysis oil technology to convert lignocellulosic materials, or plant biomass, into renewable power and heat. IOCL would also focus on R&D for the production of algal oil for use as a feedstock for making green fuels. Press release from: UOP LLC, 25 East Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60017 5017, USA. Tel: +1 847 391 2000. Website: http://www.uop.com (31 Mar 2010)
Verenium reports financial results for the 4Q and year ended 31 Dec 2009 Verenium Corp reported financial results for the 4Q and year ended 31 Dec 2009. In 2009, Verenium made significant progress in several important areas, including – aggressively managing costs to reduce operating expenses and conserve capital. The company established Vercipia Biofuels, a 50-50 jv with BP Biofuels of North America, focused on developing one of the nation’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facilities. Verenium sponsored through Vercipia, the first cellulosic ethanol project to enter the project due diligence phase of the US Department of Energy’s loan guarantee programme. Verenium significantly increased sales of Fuelzyme-LF and Veretase alphaamylase, sequentially and year-overyear, as the corn ethanol industry recovered in late 2009. The company gained commercial traction with
MAY 2010
O N
C ATA LY S T S
Purifine, including a long-term contract with, Molinos Rio de la Plata, one of the world’s largest soybean oil processors. Verenium extended strategic partnerships with Bunge and Alfa Laval, further increasing the company’s global market presence, and completed its research collaboration with Syngenta, gaining rights to several enzyme product candidates in late-stage development, and licence fees and rights to future royalties for a commercial enzyme candidate licensed to a third party. Total revenues for 4Q 2009 were $16.6 M ($19.7 M in 4Q 2008). Total revenues for 2009 were $65.9 M ($69.7 M for 2008). Verenium financials 4Q and 2009, 11 Mar 2010 (Verenium Corp, 55 Cambridge Parkway, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA. Tel: +1 617 674 5300. Website: http://www.verenium.com)
Verenium and BP extend galaxy joint development programme Verenium Corp has extended the joint development programme established in Aug 2008 with partner BP for an additional four months. BP and Verenium will continue their ongoing joint development work to accelerate the development and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol. Verenium will receive $2.5 M/month from BP to co-fund the cellulosic ethanol programme through the end of the extension period. Verenium Corp is a leader in the development and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol, an environmentally-friendly and renewable transportation fuel, as well as high-performance speciality enzymes for applications within the biofuels, industrial, and animal health markets. Press release from: Verenium Corp, 55 Cambridge Parkway, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA. Tel: +1 617 674 5300. Website: http://www.verenium.com (1 Apr 2010)
WR Grace to supply catalysts to Borealis WR Grace, which acquired Borealis’ polyolefin catalyst production plant in Sweden in 2002, has signed a multiyear agreement to supply these catalysts to Borealis. Chemical Week, 5 Apr 2010, 172 (8), 5 & Press release from: WR Grace & Co, 7500 Grace Drive, Columbia, MD 21044, USA. Website: http://www.grace.com) (6 Apr 2010)
NEW PLANTS Virent Energy and Shell scale up biofuel process Virent Energy and Shell have opened their demonstration production unit for biomass-derived high octane biofuels. According to the partners, this is the first semi-industrial scale unit worldwide to use sugars rather than ethanol. The fuel can be added to petrol without any modification to vehicle engines. The unit at Virent’s site at Madison, WI, will produce 38,000 litre/y. It uses Virent BioForming technology which converts sugars into hydrocarbons using a zeolite. Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 29 Mar 2010, (502), 6 (in French) & Chemical Week, 22 Mar 2010, 172 (7), 15
Edmonton gets new ethanol plants Canadian biofuels producer Enerkem is now cooperating with US company Waste Management. The aim is to erect two ethanol plants worth a tripledigit million sum. Construction will be able to start in Edmonton in summer 2010. Another project is on the horizon in Mississippi. Enerkem already has a plant in Westbury, PQ. This processes old telegraph poles into ethanol. Enerkem’s thermochemical technology allows the conversion of solid waste, building timber waste, and agricultural and forest waste into biofuels such as ethanol. The plant in Edmonton will cost C$ 80 M. Some 100,000 tonnes of pre-sorted waste will be processed into 40 M litres of ethanol. State aid amounts to C$ 20 M. The second project also depends on state aid. Enerkem received $50 M from the US energy ministry in Dec 2009 to develop the plant in Mississippi. Project cost is C$ 90 M. Nachrichten für Aussenhandel, 9 Mar 2010 (Website: http://www.nfa-online.de) (in German)
BioTFuel may set up facility at Total site in Dunkerque The BioTFuel consortium may set up a biofuel facility at a site run by Total at Dunkerque, France. Total reported in Oct 2009 that it would host one of the two pilot plants being planned by
5