Bio.REF: Biorefinery for sustainable, reliable economical fuel production from energy crops
Sustainable production and utilization of biofuels has an enormous potential for Denmark s energy supply. Oilseed crops like rapeseed, sunflower and soy bean along with other agricultural residues are excellent examples of crops with a large potential for flexible production of several end-products, such as biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen, biogas as well as biopesticides and biopolymers. This project provides an integrated and innovative approach to produce a multi-product biofuel from these important crops based on a number of novel and mutually synergistic production methods. At the same time the project includes an assessment on the environmental benefits and drawbacks related to the concept. A new enzymatic transesterification method will be developed for biodiesel production. Bioethanol will be produced in a new method using a membrane reactor with simultaneous ethanol extraction; part of this ethanol will also be used for alternative biodiesel production. Additionally, possibilities for the production of high energy products such as biohydrogen and high value products such as glucosinolates etc. from the rapeseed press cake will be investigated and compared with alternative utilizations. Finally, effluents from different processes will be used for biogas production. This makes the concept more flexible and a product choice will be available which can be altered according to feedstock, market demand and price. The individual processes as well as the combined biorefinery concept will be evaluated through life cycle assessment and process economy. (ENMI status report 2010)
BioREF project provides an integrated and innovative approach to produce a multi-product biofuel from oilseed crops. The overall purpose is to develop a sustainable, cost-effective and competitive biorefinery concept for production of bioenergy carriers (biodiesel, biohydrogen, bioethanol, bipgas) and useful by-products. The research project resulted in the following new and interesting results:
- Possibility for use computer software was identified as most important issue to improve logistics and thereby increase the farmer’s income from oilseed crops cultivation.
- Improved biodiesel production process based on use of enzymes for transesterification combined with highly selective membranes for separating and recycling the enzymes.
- High effective second generation ethanol production process from rapeseed straw. Extreme thermophilic (70 oC) ethanologenic bacterium converting pentoses to ethanol with high efficiency (77 % of the theoretical yield) was isolated, characterized and patented.
- A promising biotechnological approach for high rate extreme thermophilic biohydrogen production based on heat treated methanogenic granules.
- New process for mixing enzymes with hydrothermally pretreated straw was developed. Patent was filed.
- High effective anaerobic co-digestion process for methane production from process residues (rapeseed cake, stillage, hydrolysate and glycerol)
- Comprehensive LCA, environmental and technological assessment on the concept
The energy recovery efficiency from rapeseed plant increased from 20% in the conventional
biodiesel process to 60% in the biorefinery concept, by utilization of the whole rapeseed plant
for biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen and methane production.
Key figures
Category
Participants
| Partner | Subsidy | Auto financing |
|---|---|---|
| Syddansk Universitet | ||
| Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU) | ||
| Aarhus Universitet | ||
| Københavns Universitet | ||
| NOVOZYMES A/S | ||
| EMMELEV A/S |
Contact
Bygning 113
DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby
www.env.dtu.dk
Angelidaki, Irini , 45251429, ria@env.dtu.dk
Øvr. Partnere: Syddansk Universitet; Danmarks Tekniske Universitet. Risø Nationallaboratoriet for Bæredygtig Energi (Risø DTU). Afdelingen for Biosystemer; Aarhus Universitet. det Jordbrugsvidenskabelige Fakultet; Københavns Universitet. Det Biovidenskabelige Fakultet (KU LIFE); Novozymes A/S; Emmelev A/S
