(59c) Deployment of ZeaChem's Sustainable Biorefinery | AIChE

(59c) Deployment of ZeaChem's Sustainable Biorefinery

Authors 

Eggeman, T. - Presenter, ZeaChem Inc.


Increased emphasis is being placed on renewable, sustainable, domestic forms of energy, including transportation fuels, at national, state and local levels. Successful deployment of alternative solutions to petroleum-based liquid fuels for the transportation industry is dependent upon technical, economic and environmental factors. ZeaChem Inc. has developed a hybrid cellulose-based biorefinery platform capable of producing third-generation biofuels and bio-based chemicals. This new approach to cellulosic biofuels provides significant technological, economic and environmental advantages compared to other, current biofuels production processes. ZeaChem's cellulosic fuel and chemical technology is differentiated by a number of key elements: 1. The hybrid process ? incorporating biochemical and thermochemical processes ? delivers the highest theoretical yield of any biorefinery technology, a 40% advantage. 2. Use of proven technology and process components and a naturally occurring organism that does not produce CO2 during fermentation. 3. Focus on sustainable, dedicated energy crops and the technical ability of feedstock flexibility allows for geographic diversity of biorefinery locations. 4. Product flexibility of cellulosic biofuels and bio-based chemicals production to meet market demand for a wide range of renewable products. ZeaChem has started construction on a 250,000 GPY cellulosic biorefinery. The core technology, which will produce ethyl acetate, will be online by the end of 2010.