Chempolis has completed the first non-wood and non-food cellulosic ethanol production test runs at Chempolis biorefinery in Oulu, Finland.
Production of bioethanol was based on the use of reed canary grass and took place after commissioning bioethanol production facilities and receiving licence to produce bioethanol.
Fractionation of biomass and production of cellulosic ethanol is based on Chempolis’s proprietary formicobio™ biorefining technology. The biorefinery selectively fractionates biomass while process chemicals are recovered and recycled. Pure cellulose fraction was hydrolysed enzymatically into glucose and hydrolysate was fermented into ethanol by yeast.
“The production of cellulosic ethanol in our biorefinery is an important step on the path leading to commercial production based on formico® technologies. We can now verify production of ethanol from customer-sourced biomass on an industrial scale and obtain detailed data for engineering of large industrial biorefineries,” says Chempolis’ President and CEO Esa Rousu.
formicobio™ enables co-production of ethanol and biochemicals from lignocellulosic biomass and thus represents a true third-generation technology for producing liquid biofuels. formicobio™ avoids the main problems associated with other technologies and offers an opportunity for highly profitable and sustainable biorefining.
For further information please contact:
Mr. Pasi Rousu, Chief Technology Officer, Chempolis Oy,
tel. +358 (0)10 387 6669