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AIR3-CT94-1990
Novel Fermentation Feedstocks |
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Proposal No: | AIR2-CT93-1671 |
| Date Prepared: | November 1999 | |
| Source: | Final report 1998 Background Information |
Introduction
The aim of this Concerted Action was to facilitate exchanges between participants from different member countries of the European Union working on R&D programmes on the utilisation of novel fermentation feedstocks, as well as industrial participants which want to include the fermentation of non-conventional feedstocks in their activities. In particular the activity made it possible for participants to interact with others who were active in adjoining segments of the processing chain from agriculture to the end-product markets. The project also carried out surveys of the state of the art of relevant technologies, current R&D and the potential raw material base in order to help participants focus their activities in both R&D and in commercial areas.
Activities
To achieve the objectives the number of participants was increased to 48 to ensure a complete coverage of the chain of processes from plant breeding to fermentation. The participants contributed to several workshops, while 3 reports and 5 Newsletters were issued. In addition 2 databases and a website were established. The workshops covered Raw Materials, Hydrolysis and Fermentation, as well as aspects relating to further developments in the area, formation of R&D consortia and generation of the final reports. The first two meetings focused on 'up- and downstream' technologies of the valorisation chain. This served the exchange of ideas and the creation of contacts between work-groups on adjacent segments of the chain to increase mutual understanding in regard of the technical requirements along the production chain. The Third Workshop considered the way forward and surveyed the political and economic scene.
In order to contribute to the production of information and actions relevant to the development of a viable non-food fermentation industry in Europe various areas, as follows, were investigated:
In particular attempts were made to establish the main research needs for development of key process routes and to identify people as leaders to assist in the collection of key financial and process information for the main areas of activity and to establish groups to submit research proposals for future funding. In addition the potential for a pan-European research actions such as the establishment of a European institution/pilot plant for hydrolysis and fermentation; were evaluated. The detailed proposals were discussed at the fourth workshop, that was mainly concerned with the formation of consortia for funds applications. The final workshop reviewed the contributions to the final report and set up a meeting to be held at the time of the "Biomass for Energy and Industry" conference in Würzburg, Germany in June 1998.
Research Funding
The key areas of R&D that were identified as in need of future funding were as follows:
Straw Valorisation Project The objective was to utilise Europe's largest currently available biomass resource - straw - by improving its quality as an under-boiler fuel for electricity generation and as a pulping raw material. It aims to maximise profitability and minimise effluents by valorising side-streams. The end product will be an integrated systems model for design of demonstration plants to pre-process straw for electricity or paper pulp production and to convert effluents to bulk chemicals.
Production of Novel Fermentation Feedstocks from Non-traditional Crops and Agricultural Waste: Optimisation of Processing Pathways The aim was to stimulate a long-term reduction of fermentation costs through the use of non-traditional raw materials and fractionation techniques through characterisation of materials and processes. It was thought important to establish a chain to consider all these elements as 30% and more of the cost of final fermentation products is the raw material and 30% is the fractionation cost. Fermentation is a small part of the overall cost and so cannot be looked at in isolation. A small change in the sugar yields from non-conventional raw materials can have a significant effect on the cost of fermentation products. The identification of the optimal pathways for novel fermentation research is complicated by the wide range of choices for each stage of the process chain. Research is needed to establish the best route for each product and source material. Hence, there is a need to determine the optimal pathways, design strategies for compare various processes, integrate process stages and establish collaboration between partners, including universities and industry. Raw materials for further study would include field crop residues, agro-processing and forest industry by-products, and forest and energy crops such as sweet sorghum and miscanthus. There would be potential to utilise fermentation processes to reduce effluent problems in existing industries.
Straw as a Source of Corrosion-Free Boiler Fuel and Fermentation Products On the basis that feedstock sugars from sugar beet, cane or starch are a major element in fermentation process costs, it was felt that much cheaper sugars can be derived from mild acid or alkali treatment of lignocellulosic wastes, leaving fibres with enhanced value. Such 'pre-steaming' used to be common in paper pulping, but the resultant C5 sugars cannot be used in conventional fermentations and the costs of effluent treatment have discouraged this practice. However, novel thermophilic fermentations can utilise such feedstocks rapidly under certain growth conditions to produce lactic acid in high yields. This concept had already been accepted for an SME Exploratory Award that could lead to a CRAFT proposal that would optimise pre-steaming and pressing of straw, optimise lactic acid production from the extracted sugars, develop alternative feedstocks with other CRAFT partners, develop downstream processing techniques and carry out animal feed trials on the fermentation products.
Experimental Investigation of Oil-Seed Plant Residues Utilisation to High-Value Added Industrial Applications The use of such residues was based on the assumption that the cultivation of oil seed plants (rapeseed and sunflower) in the EU had been ensured by the (then) recent GATT Treaty, with production in EU countries of rapeseed reaching 8 Mt/year, which corresponds to 16 Mt/year of residues. In addition sunflower seed production of around 3.3 Mt/year gives corresponding residues of around 7 Mt/year. These residues, chaff and stems, are not edible by farm animals but could have a great potential for high-value non-food applications, i.e., for the production of one or more of the following: plant fibres and pulps for speciality applications from the cellulosic component of the residues, fine chemicals and materials from their pectin and hemicellulosic components, and carbohydrate-rich and inhibitor-poor substrates for industrial fermentations. The proposed research would have the following main objectives:
Development of Systems Models for Selected Biomass and Bioenergy Chains: Optimising Liquid Fuels and Chemicals Production through Bioconversion This area was recognised as important due to the complexity of biomass systems that constitute an additional constraint for the development of feasible large-scale applications. This is particularly true in the case in bioconversion-based processes, where the great number of potential combinations and interactions between available feedstocks, pre-treatment stages, fractionation options, biocatalysts, types of bioreactors, and separation sequences could create chaotic situations and thus 'paralyse' any attempt for process selection, optimisation and preliminary design. New 'tools' for managing such complexity, based on quantitative biomass systems models, could play a critical role in the synthesis of feasible production pathways. A recent review of literature and projects has identified a number of emerging research initiatives in that direction.
Identification and Production of C5/C6 Sugars to Enhance Fermentation Media A number of process by-products which have potential as novel fermentation feedstocks are under evaluation and use in Denmark. These include green grass juices from the grass drying industry, and residues from the potato starch industry. There is a problem of low dry solids content in these materials and low cost sources of carbohydrate are required to supplement the fermentables concentration of the media. Fermentation products such as lysine and Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA - a de-icing compound) are under consideration.
In the event, all the above proposals failed to secure EU funding. Nevertheless, they led to transnational interactions and increased the interface between commercial with non-commercial entities.
Reports
It had been planned to develop within the Concerted Action a model which would allow the comparison of the economics of the various technical alternatives to the process steps along the valorisation chain. However, in reality it was found that this was too ambitious due to financial and time limitations. Reliable cost data are notoriously difficult to obtain: either, in the case of commercial success, they are well guarded secrets or, in the case of a lack of commercial exploitation, they are lost as tends to happen in industry when newly developed processes are not directly exploited. In particular attempts to obtain figures from commercial concerns led to a nearly 100% negative response.
As an alternative a series of reports covering the status quo of technical development of the main segments of processing "from the field to the fermentation product" as well as associated general issues were produced by participants. These included a modelling concept for biomass conversion processes and a database [part-filled] of raw materials for novel fermentation feedstocks. Included is also a review of the potential for a European pilot plant facility for hydrolysis of biomass and fermentation of the products. Given the size and complexity of such a facility it is beyond the scope of most RTD institutions and SMEs and would be more cost effectively built as an EU project. The study evaluated already existing sites as to their suitability. The individual contributions have not been 'harmonised' on purpose. They express - occasionally conflicting - personal opinions of the authors, although they all broadly reflect the consensus of the CA. It is hoped that the reports will be published as a monograph in order to reach a wider audience. The titles of these reports are as follows:
Introduction
This background information is based on a report produced as part of the overall activities of a
concerted action, supported under the AIR programme, which aimed to bring
together information on alternative fermentation feedstocks. In part, the interest
was derived from previous work, supported partially by the ECLAIR programme
(
AGRE-0063), using a thermophilic bacteria to produce ethanol.
The organism studied can use both 6-carbon sugars, (such as glucose) and
5 carbon sugars (such as xylose) which can be obtained from the hemicellulose
fraction of agricultural residues or from novel energy crops. Hence, the study
extends beyond the conventional use of sucrose and starch. However, by-products
or alternative methods of obtaining lower cost fermentation feedstocks from the
sugar and starch industries are also considered.
Objectives
The overall objective of the study is to identify cost effective materials to produce novel fermentation feedstocks. Usually the most "cost effective" raw material for any project will be very site specific. Therefore, the study results are presented as a global overview offering directives for other work, as well as establishing methodology for comparing composition and cost of various selected raw materials. Areas identified for future research and development may be carried further in specific EU funded fermentation projects.
Work plan
The study was completed in phases. Phase 1 (1996) developed an overview of available raw material sources and outline methodology for data evaluation. Phase 2 evaluated selected raw materials in greater detail to indicate specific industrial sources, costs and relevant research, development and demonstration projects. Phase 3 of the project developed an outline spreadsheet computer model to compare specific raw materials and their sensitivity to key cost features.
Biomass resources
It was found that biomass resources are available as traditional and non traditional field and forestry crops, crop and forestry field residues, processing by products and municipal solid wastes. Municipal solid wastes were not considered further. For other materials, chemical compositions were summarised with sugars classified on the basis of the carbohydrate source and ease of hydrolysis.
Costs
An analysis of the cost of delivered sugars from typical raw materials was completed. Initial conclusions were that:
Raw materials
Examples of each of these raw materials were studied in greater detail to identify specific commercial sources and to suggest areas for future funding of RD&D programmes by the EC. Raw materials included in this part of the study were:
Whole crop, field crop residues and processing residues were incorporated within each raw material type.
Conclusions
Sugar beet produces high sugar and biomass yields in EU conditions but at high prices related to the quota system which allows excellent and guaranteed returns to growers and processors. However, if grown on surplus land for energy, beet production, harvest and supply options could provide biomass (beet and tops) at attractive prices. There is also the potential for optimising sugar processing system to reduce the overall costs of production and supply sugar/molasses enriched pulp as a "wet" raw material for fermentation as well as animal feed.
The present high market price of grain precludes it as a competitive fermentation raw material. However, whole crop cereals and cereal straws (particularly oilseed rape straw which has high hemicellulose content and limited alternative uses) are potential biomass raw materials. There are also significant opportunities to use cereal processing residues as raw materials.
The expanding maize starch industry in Eastern European states may also be a burgeoning market for fermentation techniques developed in the EU for cost effective ethanol production based on hemicellulose rich stover and process by-products. Costs of production in these countries, based on large estates and low fixed costs and overheads, could be extremely attractive for "bio-fuel" production. Non traditional energy crops are still under development in the EU, but there is either limited or no commercial production. However, estimates of costs of production and high "fermentable sugar contents" within these crops, particularly sweet sorghum, suggest that delivered costs would be low.
© Copyright 2006 Policy Statements
Updated
by CPL Press:
03/07/2007
- biomatnet@biomatnet.org
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