Demonstrating large-scale bioethanol production from lignocellulosic feedstocks

Duration: 2010 – 2013 ● Client: European Commission (FP7) ● WIP Role: Research and Innovation, Communication and Dissemination ● www.biolyfe.eu

The benefits of second generation biofuels production from lignocellulosic materials are significant. The main advantages include higher per hectare productivities, better GHG (green house gas) performance and avoidance of direct competition with the food market. In order to make this technology competitive with fossil fuels, significant cost reductions and technological developments are needed while the sustainability of the overall process has to be ensured.

In order to tackle this problem, the BIOLYFE project aims at improving critical process steps and demonstrating the whole supply chain, from feedstock sourcing via fuel production to product utilisation. The main result will be the construction of an efficient 2nd generation industrial demonstration unit with an annual output of about 40.000 tons of lignocellulosic bioethanol, which can then be used for process optimization through extensive testing.

The major BIOLYFE outcomes are:

• Optimisation of feedstock supply chains for selected lignocellulosic energy crops
• Further development and application of advanced steam explosion pretreatment
• Adaptation of hydrolytic enzyme cocktails and improvement of fermentation technologies
• Industrial scale second generation ethanol production (40,000 tons of EtOH / y) and process optimisation
• Vehicle fleet test programme and creation of a functioning distribution infrastructure
• Integrated assessment of environmental and economic sustainability