AIR3-CT94-2153 Hydrolysis and Fermentation of Organic Wastes and Biomass to Gaseous and Liquid Chemicals and Fuels (Short Title: RCB Renewable Chemicals from Biomass)

Contacts




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AIR Cluster II - Bioenergy Conversion : Agricultural Residues : Biological Conversion : Bulk Chemicals : Drying/Pretreatment : Liquid Biofuels and Biogas

	Contract No	AIR3-CT94-2153
	Total Cost	1 673 065
	EC Contribution	1 100 000
	Start Date	01/01/1995
	Duration	48 months

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OBJECTIVE :

The processes to be examined convert biomass into chemical feedstocks for industry. The products can also be used as liquid energy carriers, e.g. as a diesel or gasoline replacement in conventional vehicles. The biomass substrate can come from industrial or municipal wastes and by-products or from agriculture or forestry.

The work proposed targets particularly chemical feedstock production from low-lignin industrial by-products. Both processes are fermentations and include a hydrolysis pretreatment of the biomass.

The raw material for the substrate for use in the pilot plant - low-grade potatoes - at a possible pilot plant site in a rural area of lower Austria.

The first process is the continuous Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol (ABE) fermentation with cell immobilisation and in-situ, on-line product separation. The products are used as solvents or chemical feedstocks in the chemical industry or can be used as diesel (up to ca. 40 %) or gasoline (up to ca. 100% as a mixture) extenders in conventional vehicles. The continuous ABE fermentation has only been realised in the laboratory.

Some attention will be paid to the simultaneous saccherification and fermentation of biomass for both the ABE and Ethanol Fermentations.

Two-stage continuous bioreactor in laboratory scale. Reactor volumes are 300 ml (1st stage) and 2000 ml (2nd stage). The blue vessel on the left contains the feed tank.

Four partners in three countries will partake in the project. The coordinator is a university institute with many years experience with both the ABE Fermentation and product separation. Two of the partners are public research organisations, and the fourth partner is a company active in by-product biomass collection and usage. These partners have many years experience in hydrolysis, the ABE,and Ethanol fermentations and in product separation. All work extends previous research and uses existant equipment extensively.

Contacts

Coordinator

• Richard GAPES / Technical University of Vienna Institute of Process Engineering / AUSTRIA

EC Scientific Officer

• Ciarán MANGAN / European Commission - DG Research Quality of Life Programme - Unit B1.2 / BELGIUM

Participant

• Pieternel AM CLAASSEN / Agrotechnology & Food Innovations B.V. NETHERLANDS
• Juan E CARRASCO GARCIA / CIEMAT Instituto de Energias Renovables / SPAIN
• Ir. J. van Tubergen / NV Vam Divisie hergebruik NETHERLANDS