Leading chemicals company announces plans to make bioethanol from waste
Mon 21 July 2008
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A British chemicals company has announced plans to produce commercial quantities of bioethanol from waste within the next two years. INEOS says the fuel, from biodegradable municipal waste, can be produced in large quantities using new technology.
INEOS, one of the world’s top three chemical companies, says that its bioethanol will produce 90% less net greenhouse gases than petrol. The company says that one tonne of dry waste can be converted into about 400 litres of ethanol, which can then be blended with or replace traditional fuels.
A new 'second generation' biofuel technology, which INEOS says is already proven at pilot plant scale can use feedstocks including municipal solid waste, green waste, animal waste and agricultural residues amongst other things.
The bioethanol is produced in a three stage process. The waste is first superheated to produce gases. Then, through a patented process, the gases are fed to naturally occurring bacteria, which efficiently produce ethanol. Finally, the ethanol is purified to make the fuel ready to be blended for use in cars.
Dr Geraint Evans, the Technology Transfer Manager for the UK’s National Non Food Crops Centre said: “This technology really ticks all the boxes. It turns waste into biofuel; it reduces greenhouse gases and doesn’t rely on food crops. We need this produced on a global scale as soon as possible. It’s a revolutionary technology”.
Peter Williams, INEOS Bio CEO said: “We expect to announce the location of the first commercial pilot plant fairly shortly and we will quickly roll out this technology around the world. We aim to be producing commercial amounts of bioethanol fuel, for cars, from waste within about two years.
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