LEADING IN BIOETHANOL TECHNOLOGIES

Birgitte K. Ahring

BIOETHANOL: The world’s first second generation bioethanol plant is in operation at the Technical University of Denmark. The performance of the MaxiFuels pilot plant has helped to give Denmark a technological lead in the production of bioethanol from cellulose

The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has conducted ethanol research for 15 years. Professor Birgitte K. Ahring has headed the research and patented several processes. She is also the co-founder of BioGasol, a DTU spin-off company which aims to market and sell technological licences in a few years.

BioGasol is involved in the world’s first second generation bioethanol plant, which is located at the university.

The pilot plant is the first step towards commercialisation of the technology. It is planned to be replaced in 2008 by a demonstration plant, and in 2010 by a full scale plant which will be located in Denmark. A second demonstration plant, which is also planned, will be located outside Denmark.

Investors sees gold mine
“The first full scale plant has a planned capacity of 10 million litres of ethanol annually, but right now it is more important to demonstrate the pilot plant’s capabilities than to focus on quantity,” says Professor Ahring. “There is a great deal of interest from investors, who see a potential gold mine in this technology.” Investor interest is being heightened by the requirements for increased energy efficiency in the automotive sector, particularly in the US, Brazil and Sweden where the markets for cars with flexifuel engines, which can run on fuel containing up to 85% ethanol, are in strong growth.

Professor Ahring predicts that new types of engines will enable cars to drive 32 km on a litre of pure ethanol. It is estimated that the production price of a litre of bioethanol from the MaxiFuels plant is DKK 2.30. The production price for the full scale plant is expected to be somewhat lower. In comparison it costs approximately DKK 3.22 including CO₂ tax to produce a litre of petrol at an oil refinery.

Broad spectrum of biomass
“In the future, bioethanol plants will be able to utilise biomass from many different sources. It is important that this takes place in a competitive and environmentally correct way,” says Professor Ahring, who points to other important future initiatives. “We need to think about environmentally friendly bio-refineries which can convert virtually all forms of biomass into energy products, as well as chemicals currently derived from oil. We believe that MaxiFuels points the way not only to tomorrow’s biofuels, but also to the bio-refineries of the future.”

The production of ethanol from biomass also creates methane, hydrogen and a combustible solid residue that can be converted into fuel pellets. In the MaxiFuels plant one ton of straw produces 310 litres of ethanol, 70 cubic metres of methane, 20 cubic metres of hydrogen and 230 kilos of solid fuel.

http://www.biocentrum.dtu.dk