Chemenator Briefs

Cellulosic ethanol Clariant AG (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) has produced the first commercial cellulosic ethanol at its sunliquid production plant in Podari, Romania. The entire offtake is contracted with a multi-year agreement to Shell. Over the last six months, the plant — the first commercial unit to apply sunliquid technology — underwent a thorough commissioning process, resulting in the successful start of production. Approximately 50,000 tons of second-generation biofuels will be derived from 250,000 tons of locally sourced agricultural residues. The cellulosic ethanol produced at this plant can be applied as a drop-in solution for fuel blending, but also offers further downstream application opportunities for sustainable aviation fuel and bio-based chemicals. “The advanced biofuel produced by the sunliquid technology process supports the decarbonization of the transport sector by providing up to 120% CO2 savings compared to fossil fuel,” says Christian Librera, head of Business Line Biofuels & Derivatives. Sunliquid is a biotechnological method for manufacturing cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues, such as cereal straw, corn stover or sugar-cane bagasse. In the completely integrated process,…