By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : March 06, 2018 8:18 pm
Clariant approves the investment in a new full-scale commercial cellulosic ethanol plant based on its sunliquid technology
Specialty chemicals major Clariant has received approval from the Board of Directors to invest in a new full-scale commercial plant for the production of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues using its sunliquid technology. The new plant, with an annual production capacity of 50.000 tons, will be built in the southwestern part of Romania.
"Clariant is continually investing in the development of sustainable products and innovative solutions such as sunliquid®. This pioneering process demonstrates the production of efficient and sustainable advanced biofuels and has great potential as a technology platform for a variety of bio-based materials. It is a further illustration 0f Clariant's successful innovation strategy, as this technology provides additional growth potential to an already strong portfolio", says Christian Kohlpaintner, Member of the Executive Committee at Clariant.
In September this year, Clariant already announced a successful step towards increasing the commercial attractiveness of its sunliquid technology by signing the first technology license agreement with Enviral, a member of the Envien Group.
"After five years of operating our pre-commercial sunliquid® plant in Straubing, Germany, and thorough process demonstration we are now ready to scale-up to the next level", explains Markus Rarbach, Head of Start-up Business Biofuels & Derivatives at Clariant. "It is the next big step into an attractive market and a significant advancement in the successful commercialization of this highly innovative and sustainable technology". The investment also brings substantial economic benefits to the region. By locally sourcing feedstock, greenhouse gas savings can be maximized and additional business opportunities arise in the region along the value chain."
At full capacity, the new plant will process approximately 250.000 tons of wheat straw and other cereal straw annually, which will be sourced from local farmers. Co-products from the process will be used for the generation of renewable energy with the goal of making the plant independent from fossil energy sources. Therefore, the resulting cellulosic ethanol is an almost carbon neutral advanced biofuel.