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UPM selects Rauma as possible location for biorefinery in Finland
FOCUS has been active in the biotechnology segment for several years and developed a process called Sunliquid for making biofuels from renewable agricultural remnants. The company will build the largest plant for the manufacture of second generation bioethanol near the new Bavarian Bio-Campus in Straubing, Germany. The project is subsidised by the German government and represents an investment of ca €28 M; including investments of around €16 M and accompanying research projects of around €12 M. The plant is scheduled to come on-stream at the end of 2011 and will manufacture up to 2000 tonne/y of bioethanol from agricultural remnants such as wheat straw. Chemische Rundschau, Mar 2011, (3), 4-7 (Website: http://www.chemische-rundschau.ch/) (in German)
UPM selects Rauma as possible location for biorefinery in Finland UPM has narrowed its list of possible locations for its planned biorefinery to two: in Rauma, Finland, and Strasbourg, France. The plant will produce second generation biodiesel from energy wood, including logging residues, using gasification and Fischer-Tropsch processes. A final investment decision for the project is yet to be made. The company will apply for the NER300-grant of the EU for biorefinery investment in France and Finland. Separately, UPM has completed the environmental assessment for a possible liquid biorefinery in Lappeenranta, Finland that would produce transportation biofuels using bio-based liquids like fats and oils as feedstock. Pulp and Paper International, Feb 2011, 53 (2), 5 (Website: http://www.ppimagazine.com/)
Total signs framework accord for coal-to-olefins jv in China Total, the government of the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, and China Power Investment Corp (CPI) have inked a framework agreement covering a planned coal-based petrochemical project in Inner Mongolia. Total and CPI will hasten completion of a feasibility study on the coal-to-olefins jv at Ordos, Inner Mongolia. The
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integrated complex is expected to require an investment of €2-3 bn ($2.8-4.1 bn) and come online after 2015. It would employ Total’s methanol-to-olefins and olefins cracking process technologies. Chemical Week, 21 Mar 2011 (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
Hydrotreating unit for refinery in Venezuela Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) and the Haldor Topsoe have signed a contract for the Centro de Refinación Paraguaná Project. Hydrotreating units: the contract includes an 85,000 bbl/d hydrotreating unit, which will be the biggest ever designed by Topsoe, and the capacity will correspond to about half of Denmark’s daily consumption of oil. Due to the large capacity of the hydrotreater, the project will include two trains with four hydrotreating reactors in total, which will produce ultra-low sulfur diesel containing less than 10 wt ppm sulfur. The diesel hydrotreater is part of an optimisation project in PDVSA’s largest refining complex in Paraguaná, Falcon State. With the new diesel hydrotreater PDVSA will be able to fulfil new restrictions on sulfur content in diesel both on the local market as well as on the export markets. The diesel product requirements correspond to the strict Euro V specifications. Topsoe will supply an engineering design package for the hydrotreaters. Erection of the unit is expected to commence in 2014 and PDVSA expect to begin production by the end of 2015. Press release from: Haldor Topsoe A/S, Nymollevej 55, PO Box 213, DK 2800 Lyngby, Denmark. Tel: +45 4527 2000. Fax: +45 4527 2999. Website: http://www.haldortopsoe.com (17 Mar 2011)
Evonik to build biodiesel catalyst plant in Argentina Evonik Industries is planning to build a new plant to produce catalysts for the manufacture of biodiesel in Argentina. Basic engineering for this plant, which will have capacity of over 60,000 tonne/y, has been completed and construction work is expected to start in Jul 2011. Completion of project is set for the end of 2012 at the latest,
and the plant will produce ready-touse alcoholates for use as catalysts in the production of biodiesel from renewable raw materials. The project is still contingent on the approval of the relevant authorities. The new plant will supply the South America region, especially Argentina and Brazil. It will be located in Puerto General San Martin, in the Rosario region, at the heart of Argentina’s biodiesel industry. Press release from: Evonik Industries AG, Rellinghauser Strasse 1-11 45128, Essen, Germany. Website: http://www.evonik.com (29 Mar 2011)
NEW TECHNOLOGY Novozymes’ enzymes to enhance North Sea oil production According to the director of the Center for Energy Resources at DTU, oil production in the Danish sector of the North Sea will become more efficient thanks to the use of enzymes. By far the greatest bulk of the oil cannot be retrieved using existing methods, but enzymes could provide the future solution to this problem. On 22 Mar 2011 a new collaboration was established between Novozymes, Maersk Olie og Gas, and DONG Energy, as well as DTU, Roskilde Universitet, and Teknologisk Institut. Initially the participants will determine which enzyme effects they want to develop further. NP Investor, 23 Mar 2011 (Website: http://www.npinvestor.dk/) (in Danish)
Dyadic International introduces advanced biofuels enzyme AlternaFuel CMAX at Rotterdam exhibition Dyadic International Inc (Dyadic) announced the introduction of its most advanced biofuels enzyme, AlternaFuel CMAX, at the World Biofuels Markets exhibition in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Dyadic has recently completed its scale-up of AlternaFuel CMAX which was derived from Dyadic’s proprietary and patented C1 platform technology. AlternaFuel CMAX has proven to be effective in converting multiple forms of biomass into
MAY 2011
UPM selects Rauma as possible location for biorefinery in Finland UPM has narrowed its list of possible locations for its planned biorefinery to two: in Rauma, Finland, and Strasbourg, France. The plant will produce second generation biodiesel from energy wood, including logging residues, using gasification and Fischer-Tropsch processes. A final investment decision for the project is yet to be made. The company will apply for the NER300-grant of the EU for biorefinery investment in France and Finland. Separately, UPM has completed the environmental assessment for a possible liquid biorefinery in Lappeenranta, Finland that would produce transportation biofuels using bio-based liquids like fats and oils as feedstock. Pulp and Paper International, Feb 2011, 53 (2), 5 (Website: http://www.ppimagazine.com/)
Total signs framework accord for coal-to-olefins jv in China Total, the government of the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, and China Power Investment Corp (CPI) have inked a framework agreement covering a planned coal-based petrochemical project in Inner Mongolia. Total and CPI will hasten completion of a feasibility study on the coal-to-olefins jv at Ordos, Inner Mongolia. The
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integrated complex is expected to require an investment of €2-3 bn ($2.8-4.1 bn) and come online after 2015. It would employ Total’s methanol-to-olefins and olefins cracking process technologies. Chemical Week, 21 Mar 2011 (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
Hydrotreating unit for refinery in Venezuela Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) and the Haldor Topsoe have signed a contract for the Centro de Refinación Paraguaná Project. Hydrotreating units: the contract includes an 85,000 bbl/d hydrotreating unit, which will be the biggest ever designed by Topsoe, and the capacity will correspond to about half of Denmark’s daily consumption of oil. Due to the large capacity of the hydrotreater, the project will include two trains with four hydrotreating reactors in total, which will produce ultra-low sulfur diesel containing less than 10 wt ppm sulfur. The diesel hydrotreater is part of an optimisation project in PDVSA’s largest refining complex in Paraguaná, Falcon State. With the new diesel hydrotreater PDVSA will be able to fulfil new restrictions on sulfur content in diesel both on the local market as well as on the export markets. The diesel product requirements correspond to the strict Euro V specifications. Topsoe will supply an engineering design package for the hydrotreaters. Erection of the unit is expected to commence in 2014 and PDVSA expect to begin production by the end of 2015. Press release from: Haldor Topsoe A/S, Nymollevej 55, PO Box 213, DK 2800 Lyngby, Denmark. Tel: +45 4527 2000. Fax: +45 4527 2999. Website: http://www.haldortopsoe.com (17 Mar 2011)
Evonik to build biodiesel catalyst plant in Argentina Evonik Industries is planning to build a new plant to produce catalysts for the manufacture of biodiesel in Argentina. Basic engineering for this plant, which will have capacity of over 60,000 tonne/y, has been completed and construction work is expected to start in Jul 2011. Completion of project is set for the end of 2012 at the latest,
and the plant will produce ready-touse alcoholates for use as catalysts in the production of biodiesel from renewable raw materials. The project is still contingent on the approval of the relevant authorities. The new plant will supply the South America region, especially Argentina and Brazil. It will be located in Puerto General San Martin, in the Rosario region, at the heart of Argentina’s biodiesel industry. Press release from: Evonik Industries AG, Rellinghauser Strasse 1-11 45128, Essen, Germany. Website: http://www.evonik.com (29 Mar 2011)
NEW TECHNOLOGY Novozymes’ enzymes to enhance North Sea oil production According to the director of the Center for Energy Resources at DTU, oil production in the Danish sector of the North Sea will become more efficient thanks to the use of enzymes. By far the greatest bulk of the oil cannot be retrieved using existing methods, but enzymes could provide the future solution to this problem. On 22 Mar 2011 a new collaboration was established between Novozymes, Maersk Olie og Gas, and DONG Energy, as well as DTU, Roskilde Universitet, and Teknologisk Institut. Initially the participants will determine which enzyme effects they want to develop further. NP Investor, 23 Mar 2011 (Website: http://www.npinvestor.dk/) (in Danish)
Dyadic International introduces advanced biofuels enzyme AlternaFuel CMAX at Rotterdam exhibition Dyadic International Inc (Dyadic) announced the introduction of its most advanced biofuels enzyme, AlternaFuel CMAX, at the World Biofuels Markets exhibition in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Dyadic has recently completed its scale-up of AlternaFuel CMAX which was derived from Dyadic’s proprietary and patented C1 platform technology. AlternaFuel CMAX has proven to be effective in converting multiple forms of biomass into
MAY 2011