SUNLIQUID: Cellulosic ethanol – biofuel of the future

 

Summer 2016


The transport sector has one of the highest growth rates worldwide implying a significant impact on the fuel demand and level of CO2 emissions. The EU has set targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40% compared to 1990 levels by 2030. As transport alone is responsible for 25% of GHG emissions in the European Union, the use of already available and cost-effective technologies, such as advanced biofuels, has to be encouraged as quickly as possible.

Advanced biofuels based on agricultural residues such as cellulosic ethanol have the potential to play a key role in making mobility more sustainable. By 2030, these advanced biofuels could cover about 16% of the total fuel demand in Europe. This could create 300,000 new jobs – predominantly in rural areas – and generate additional revenues of EUR 15 billion in Europe alone.

SUNLIQUID® – COMPETITIVE AND SUSTAINABLE CELLULOSIC ETHANOL
The production of cellulosic ethanol is technologically mature. Clariant's sunliquid® technology is an innovative, efficient, sustainable, energy-neutral and economic process for the production of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues such as straw, corn stover or sugarcane bagasse. Highly optimized enzymes ensure effective conversion of the feedstock into sugars, which are then fermented into ethanol by highly optimized yeast. The process converts the difficult to access C5 and C6 sugars contained in the plant material almost entirely into ethanol. The product, cellulosic ethanol, is a high quality biofuel with high GHG emission savings of up to 95% compared with fossil fuels. It does not compete with food or feed production and does not need any additional arable land. Recently, sunliquid® has been awarded the "2015 German Innovation Prize for Climate and Environment" from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety.

A successfully conducted fleet test with Mercedes-Benz series vehicles using sunliquid® 20, a premium-grade E20 blend containing 20% cellulosic ethanol, has shown that cellulosic ethanol E20 is technically feasible. 20% cellulosic ethanol led to a significant increase in sustainability as it reduced particle emissions by 50% compared to the EU reference fuel E5 and saved around 95% GHG emissions. Clariant supplied the cellulosic ethanol from its demonstration plant in Straubing (Germany) where up to 1000 tons of cellulosic ethanol are produced annually using the sunliquid® process. The plant has already received the International Sustainability & Carbon Certifi cation (ISCC).

SUNLIQUID aims to confirm the commercial maturity of the sunliquid® process by building and operating a first-of-its kind, large scale cellulosic ethanol production plant. The project will contribute to achieve a more sustainable energy system in Europe that is less dependent on imported fossil fuels and creates new, green jobs.

In order to trigger investments in cellulosic ethanol production capacity in the EU, a predictable and long-term policy has to be adopted. At the heart of such a framework stands a binding and ambitious target for advanced biofuels.


CONTACT DETAILS:
Dr. Markus Rarbach
Head of Biofuels & Derivatives
Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbH
T: +49 (0)89 710 661 0
E: contact@sunliquid-project-fp7.eu
www.sunliquid-project-fp7.eu

This project receives funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no.322386.