BIOETHANOL PLANTS TO MEET FUTURE NEEDS

BIOETHANOL: DONG Energy is aiming to become a major player in the production of bioethanol from straw and biomass, and anticipates full scale production by 2012.

Denmark’s lead in the development of second generation bioethanol is rooted in the fact that straw has been used as fuel for many years in Danish combined power and heat stations, and the technologies for utilizing it have been continuously developed.

The use of straw as a source material for second generation bioethanol production is a considerable challenge. In comparison with first generation bioethanol source material like corn and maize, more complex enzyme-based processing is required. But it can be done and in addition to bioethanol, the residual products can also be utilised e.g. as animal feed or fuel for an associated power station.

Refining and developing technology
Denmark’s leading energy company DONG Energy was among the first to start research in this area.

“We are aiming to refine and develop a technology, which could become the answer to meeting the increasing demand for renewable energy,” says research and development director Charles Nielsen, DONG Energy. “We have gained a lot of knowledge at an early stage, which gives us an advantage in product development. If we succeed, it will be a lucrative business. We expect that it will be possible to use a vast number of different materials in this process, and it is far from certain that the crops we use today are best.”

Providing complete solutions
DONG Energy has plans to build a full scale plant, slated for completion by 2012, that will be integrated with an existing power station, enzyme factory and refinery. The company already has a small pilot plant which can process one ton of straw per hour. A new plant which can process four tons per hour is being built at the same location. The full scale plant is planned to have a nameplate capacity of 20 tons per hour.

DONG Energy aims to invest EUR 18 million in technology development, as a step towards the ultimate aim of selling complete plants on the world market.

Important enzymes
The USA and China are the main competitors in the development of second generation bioethanol plants. Both countries are putting a lot of cash into it, but from a technological perspective the Danish project is thought to be far ahead. As Charles Nielsen points out, it is not solely a matter of economic investment, but just as much about know-how.

“There are many components involved,” says Charles Nielsen. “Enzymes alone account for around half of the cost of the entire process. And in this area, Denmark’s Novozymes is among the leaders in this important aspect.”

http://www.dongenergy.dk