UPM and Andritz/Carbona team up to develop synthetic biofuels
Global forestry company UPM, international technology group Andritz and its associated company Carbona intend to co-operate [*.pdf] on the development of the technology for biomass gasification and synthetic gas purification. Gasification technology is required for the production of so-called 'synthetic biofuels', also known as second-generation biodiesel, or biomass-to-liquid (BTL) fuels. To obtain such fuels, biomass is gasified after which the syngas is purified and fed to a Fischer-Tropsch liquefaction plant. During the Fischer-Tropsch process carbon monoxide and hydrogen are combined in a catalytic reaction which converts them into liquid hydrocarbons of various forms (diagram, click to enlarge).
The companies plan to start the joint BTL project based on Carbona's gasification technology at the Gas Technology Institute’s pilot plant located close to Chicago in the United States. Laboratory testing and modification of GTI's test plant would start in July. The institute has equipment which can be applied for synthetic gas production under conditions similar to commercial scale plants.
Estimated total costs of the piloting are €5 to 10/US$6.7 to 13.4 million. Pilot testing is expected to be finished by the end of 2008. The co-operation also covers the design and supply of a commercial scale biomass gasification plant. UPM announced in October 2006 that it will strongly increase its stake in second generation biodiesel in the next few years and prepares to become a significant producer of renewable biofuels. The main raw material used in UPM's biodiesel production will be wood based biomass:
bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: wood :: gasification :: Fischer-Tropsch :: synthetic biofuels :: biomass-to-liquids ::
The company is already known for making efficient use of biomass in production of paper and wood products as well as in energy generation. Locating biodiesel production plants adjacent to existing UPM pulp or paper mills would further enhance the company's ability to utilise the wood raw material efficiently.
Andritz has a comprehensive product portfolio for biomass starting from wood handling equipment, dryers and pellet machines to fluid bed boilers and gasifiers for lime kilns. Recent addition of Carbona’s special gasification technology enables further gasification applications to complement the product family.
UPM is one of the world’s leading forest products groups. The Group's sales in 2006 were EUR 10 billion, and it has about 28,000 employees. UPM's main products include printing papers, self-adhesive label materials and wood products. The company has production plants in 15 countries and its main market areas are Europe and North America.
Andritz Group develops high-tech production systems and industrial process solutions for various standard and highly specialized products. The Group has approximately 10,400 employees and runs 35 production/service facilities and over 120 affiliates and distribution firms around the world. The Group focuses on five Business Areas: Pulp and Paper, Rolling Mills and Strip Processing Lines, Environment and Process, Feed and Biofuel and Hydro Power.
Carbona is a privately owned technology based company started in 1996. It is specialised in the development and commercialisation of biomass gasification processes. For the time being it has offices in Finland and USA. Carbona has worked in close co-operation with Gas Technology Institute throughout its existence.
The Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is a non-profit research & development organization with nearly 250-person staff based in Des Plaines, Illinois. The organization performs contract research, development and demonstration projects as well as plans and manages technology development programmes for the gas industry and other energy clients.
Image: Bundles of logging residues. During the last 10 years UPM invested more than €500 million on biomass based energy and energy efficiency. These bundles of logging residues are being incinerated for energy in one of UPM's many renewable biomass fired power plants. UPM sees biodiesel production as a natural continuation in making efficient use of the wood raw material.
Article continues
The companies plan to start the joint BTL project based on Carbona's gasification technology at the Gas Technology Institute’s pilot plant located close to Chicago in the United States. Laboratory testing and modification of GTI's test plant would start in July. The institute has equipment which can be applied for synthetic gas production under conditions similar to commercial scale plants.
Estimated total costs of the piloting are €5 to 10/US$6.7 to 13.4 million. Pilot testing is expected to be finished by the end of 2008. The co-operation also covers the design and supply of a commercial scale biomass gasification plant. UPM announced in October 2006 that it will strongly increase its stake in second generation biodiesel in the next few years and prepares to become a significant producer of renewable biofuels. The main raw material used in UPM's biodiesel production will be wood based biomass:
bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: wood :: gasification :: Fischer-Tropsch :: synthetic biofuels :: biomass-to-liquids ::
The company is already known for making efficient use of biomass in production of paper and wood products as well as in energy generation. Locating biodiesel production plants adjacent to existing UPM pulp or paper mills would further enhance the company's ability to utilise the wood raw material efficiently.
Andritz has a comprehensive product portfolio for biomass starting from wood handling equipment, dryers and pellet machines to fluid bed boilers and gasifiers for lime kilns. Recent addition of Carbona’s special gasification technology enables further gasification applications to complement the product family.
UPM is one of the world’s leading forest products groups. The Group's sales in 2006 were EUR 10 billion, and it has about 28,000 employees. UPM's main products include printing papers, self-adhesive label materials and wood products. The company has production plants in 15 countries and its main market areas are Europe and North America.
Andritz Group develops high-tech production systems and industrial process solutions for various standard and highly specialized products. The Group has approximately 10,400 employees and runs 35 production/service facilities and over 120 affiliates and distribution firms around the world. The Group focuses on five Business Areas: Pulp and Paper, Rolling Mills and Strip Processing Lines, Environment and Process, Feed and Biofuel and Hydro Power.
Carbona is a privately owned technology based company started in 1996. It is specialised in the development and commercialisation of biomass gasification processes. For the time being it has offices in Finland and USA. Carbona has worked in close co-operation with Gas Technology Institute throughout its existence.
The Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is a non-profit research & development organization with nearly 250-person staff based in Des Plaines, Illinois. The organization performs contract research, development and demonstration projects as well as plans and manages technology development programmes for the gas industry and other energy clients.
Image: Bundles of logging residues. During the last 10 years UPM invested more than €500 million on biomass based energy and energy efficiency. These bundles of logging residues are being incinerated for energy in one of UPM's many renewable biomass fired power plants. UPM sees biodiesel production as a natural continuation in making efficient use of the wood raw material.
Article continues
Thursday, May 24, 2007
The bioeconomy at work: Toyota's i-Unit made from kenaf-reinforced bioplastic
Full of revolutionary technology, Toyota's i-Unit concept is used as an example of a new form of green mobility. The exhibited vehicle uses plant-based materials instead of oil-based plastics and metals. Biopolymers and bioplastics made from sugarcane and maize used in the i-Unit are reinforced with plant fibers from the African kenaf plant. The fibers are held together by lignin, a natural polymer found in wood.
The car industry has been one of the biggest users of plant-based plastics (overview). These green alternatives can be made from a large variety of feedstocks, as long as they contain sugar, starch or oil. So far sugarcane, castor beans, maize, sago, cassava, palm oil, soy beans and sweet potatos have been used for the production of bioplastics (see our overview of research on tropical feedstocks for biopolymers). They often have properties that make them more performant and robust than their petroleum-based 'rivals' (earlier post, here and here). As well as using plastics made from plants, car designers are employing plant fibers to strengthen plastics, replacing conventional carbon fibre or glass reinforcement.
Plastics reinforced with plant fibers are much lighter than traditional composites, so the cars are much more energy efficient to drive. The carbon footprint of these materials is lower as well and they are renewable. Sometimes, they are fully biodegradable.
Toyota's i-Unit offers a radically green form of mobility. Its compact size enables the passenger to move among other people in an upright position in low speed mode, whereas a low center of gravity ensures stable handling when the vehicle reclines in high speed mode. The device is powered by li-ion batteries. If the electricity these batteries store were to be obtained from renewables such as biomass, the vehicle would become almost entirely green and carbon-neutral [entry ends here].
biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: climate change :: oil :: plastics :: bioplastics :: biomass :: natural fibers :: kenaf :: biocomposites :: biopolymers :: biodegradable :: bioeconomy ::
Article continues
posted by Biopact team at 9:46 PM 0 comments links to this post