Royal Dutch Shell said Tuesday it has begun operations at a novel plant designed to convert biomass from plants to bio-gasoline, instead of ethanol.
Bio-gasoline made at Shell's and Virent's Wisconsin plant will have a greater energy intensity than ethanol.
Most of the world’s biofuel production is focused on making ethanol from plant stocks such as corn and sugar cane. A second generation of companies hopes to avoid eatable crops in favor of forest waste, wood and grasses. But their end product also is ethanol, in addition to some specialty chemicals.
(Biodiesel meanwhile is being produced from vegetable oils, greases and animal fats.)
Shell and partner Virent Energy Systems hope to avoid the difficulties of working with ethanol, such as converting car engines for its use and developing separate distribution systems of pipelines and tanks. Their gasoline equivalent can be blended with petroleum-based gas in higher concentrations than ethanol and burned in standard engines, they said.
“The new product has the potential to eliminate the need for specialized infrastructure, engine modifications, and blending equipment necessary for the use of gasoline containing more than 10% ethanol,” according to a press release. It also has higher energy content than ethanol and should deliver better fuel economy.
The demonstration plant is located in Wisconsin and can generate up to 10,000 gallons a year, which will be tested in commercial fleets. It presently uses beet sugar, but can digest corn, sugar cane and wheat.
Shell described the test plant a key step in moving the technology from the lab to the market, but said there is still “some way to go on the route to commercialization.”
It did not offer a timetable for market delivery
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I’ve enjoyed reading through these types of blogs. Intriguing stuff! Solar energy has always been a fascination with me.