Abengoa Bioenergy opens cellulosic ethanol pilot plant in the U.S.
Abengoa Bioenergy has opened a pilot plant for the conversion of biomass in the State of Nebraska, in the United States. The plant, which involves an investment of more than US$35 million, will be exclusively dedicated to the research and development of second-generation biofuel production processes from lignocellulosic biomass, the earth's most abundant organic feedstock, as part of an agreement signed with the US Department of Energy in 2003.
The pilot plant is the first of its kind; it will serve as a platform for testing new equipment, systems and catalysts necessary to break down various organic compounds and process them, such as herbaceous and woody materials, thus optimizing ethanol production. The plant will also be a research and training centre for other teams in Abengoa Bioenergy whilst the company evaluates and tests additional products, equipment and other processes being designed at present to improve organic biomass processes.
The Spanish-owned pilot plant opened in York (Nebraska) today, will allow Abengoa to research and test proprietary technology for use in commercial-scale conversion of biomass into ethanol. The new technologies obtained will be implemented at the biomass biorefinery that the company is building in Kansas, the first of its kind. Earlier this year, this project received US$76 million in funding from the U.S. DOE (previous post).
The Kansas plant will process daily 700 metric tons of biomass to produce 44 million liters of ethanol per year as well as other forms of enewable energy such as electricity and steam. The biomass plant will be situated next to a conventional ethanol plant capable of producing 88 million gallons (more than 300 million liters), which will allow both facilities the benefit of a combined capacity of 100 million gallons (more than 400 million liters). The investment of both will exceed US$300 million:
energy :: sustainability ::bioenergy :: biofuels :: biomass :: residues :: lignocellulose :: enzymes :: ethanol :: biorefinery ::
Abengoa Bioenergy´s pilot plant in Nebraska plays a fundamental roll in the U.S. Department of Energy´s Biofuels Initiative the aim of which is to reduce gasoline consumption by 20% in 10 years.
Abengoa Bioenergy has long been committed to biomass conversion, a raw material which offers environmental advantages allowing the use of materials normally discarded in grain and crop production for sustainable energy production.
The Nebraska Governor, Dave Heineman, who presided over the opening ceremony, highlighted the importance of these initiatives to reduce the reliance on imported oil, combat pollution and create economic opportunities in rural and urban Nebraska.
Furthermore, during the ceremony, Javier Salgado announced a collaboration agreement signed with the US Department of Energy (DOE) for the sum of 38 million dollars for the design and development of the first commercial-scale biomass into ethanol plant in Hugoton, Kansas.
Abengoa Bioenergy has a presence in three global bioethanol markets - the United States, Brazil and Europe - and says it will invest more than US$500 million in the next five years in cellulosic biofuels.
The company currently has a total annual production capacity of more than one billion litres. Abengoa Bioenergy operates three bioethanol production plants in Spain at present, with an installed annual capacity of more than 500 million liters.
References:
Abengoa Bioenergy: Abengoa Bioenergy opens pilot plant for the energy of the future - October 15, 2007.
Biopact: U.S. Dept. of Energy awards $385 million to 6 cellulosic ethanol plants, out of $1.2 billion - March 01, 2007
The pilot plant is the first of its kind; it will serve as a platform for testing new equipment, systems and catalysts necessary to break down various organic compounds and process them, such as herbaceous and woody materials, thus optimizing ethanol production. The plant will also be a research and training centre for other teams in Abengoa Bioenergy whilst the company evaluates and tests additional products, equipment and other processes being designed at present to improve organic biomass processes.
By producing ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass, Abengoa Bioenergy reaches a key aim in its technological plan within those parameters foreseen in their research and investigation program. - Javier Salgado, President and CEO of Abengoa BioenergyCompared with dry-mill process, production of ethanol from agricultural residues, specifically, corn stover and wheat straw, requires extensive processing to release the polymeric sugars in cellulose and hemicellulose that account for 30 to 50% and 20 to 35% of plant material, respectively. Abengoa's enzymatic hydrolysis biorefinery process (schematic, click to enlarge) fractionates biomass into major constituents, hydrolyzes the carbohydrates to sugars for ethanol fermentation. It strivs for compatibility with cereal ethanol production process to achieve synergistic gains when integrating biomass enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation with cereal ethanol production facility (for example, the two processes could share utilities and even certain process equipment). Abenoa uses Aspen Plus process simulation software to model various process options and evaluate the overall technoeconomic performance of the processes.
The Spanish-owned pilot plant opened in York (Nebraska) today, will allow Abengoa to research and test proprietary technology for use in commercial-scale conversion of biomass into ethanol. The new technologies obtained will be implemented at the biomass biorefinery that the company is building in Kansas, the first of its kind. Earlier this year, this project received US$76 million in funding from the U.S. DOE (previous post).
The Kansas plant will process daily 700 metric tons of biomass to produce 44 million liters of ethanol per year as well as other forms of enewable energy such as electricity and steam. The biomass plant will be situated next to a conventional ethanol plant capable of producing 88 million gallons (more than 300 million liters), which will allow both facilities the benefit of a combined capacity of 100 million gallons (more than 400 million liters). The investment of both will exceed US$300 million:
energy :: sustainability ::bioenergy :: biofuels :: biomass :: residues :: lignocellulose :: enzymes :: ethanol :: biorefinery ::
Abengoa Bioenergy´s pilot plant in Nebraska plays a fundamental roll in the U.S. Department of Energy´s Biofuels Initiative the aim of which is to reduce gasoline consumption by 20% in 10 years.
Abengoa Bioenergy has long been committed to biomass conversion, a raw material which offers environmental advantages allowing the use of materials normally discarded in grain and crop production for sustainable energy production.
The Nebraska Governor, Dave Heineman, who presided over the opening ceremony, highlighted the importance of these initiatives to reduce the reliance on imported oil, combat pollution and create economic opportunities in rural and urban Nebraska.
Furthermore, during the ceremony, Javier Salgado announced a collaboration agreement signed with the US Department of Energy (DOE) for the sum of 38 million dollars for the design and development of the first commercial-scale biomass into ethanol plant in Hugoton, Kansas.
Abengoa Bioenergy has a presence in three global bioethanol markets - the United States, Brazil and Europe - and says it will invest more than US$500 million in the next five years in cellulosic biofuels.
The company currently has a total annual production capacity of more than one billion litres. Abengoa Bioenergy operates three bioethanol production plants in Spain at present, with an installed annual capacity of more than 500 million liters.
References:
Abengoa Bioenergy: Abengoa Bioenergy opens pilot plant for the energy of the future - October 15, 2007.
Biopact: U.S. Dept. of Energy awards $385 million to 6 cellulosic ethanol plants, out of $1.2 billion - March 01, 2007
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