UPDATE: BP, ABF, DuPont advance UK biofuels

26 June 2007 10:21  [Source: ICIS news]

(Adds biobutanol background to BP/ABF/DuPont UK biofuels plans)

LONDON (ICIS news)--BP and DuPont said they will build a biobutanol demonstration plant alongside their $400m world-scale bioethanol plant with Assocated British Foods (ABF) at Saltend, Hull, in the UK.

The demonstration plant will start up in early 2009.

BP and DuPont said they are beginning to develop the biobutanol market by importing small quantities of the product from a plant in China.

The first product is expected to arrive by the end of this year and will be used to carry out infrastructure and advanced vehicle testing, they said.

Food, ingredients and retail group ABF said on Tuesday that it plans to form a £200m ($400m) joint venture with energy giant BP and chemicals major DuPont to build a large biofuels plant in the UK.

BP and ABF subsidiary British Sugar will each hold a 45% stake in the bioethanol plant, with DuPont holding the remaining 10%. The 420m-litre capacity unit will use wheat feedstock and is due to be commissioned in late 2009.

The demonstration plant, owned by BP and DuPont, would have a capacity of about 20,000 litres/year.

The partners said they would look at the feasibility of converting the plant to biobutanol once the required technology became available.

“We are delighted to be announcing, subject to the necessary approvals, the construction of a world-scale bioethanol plant in Hull with our partners ABF and DuPont to enable petrol bio components to be available to meet the 2010 Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation [UK government initiative],” said Iain Conn, CEO of BP’s refining and marketing business. 

“In addition, we have also selected Hull as the preferred location for a planned biobutanol demonstration plant as laboratory research work on the production of this first advanced biofuel that we and partners DuPont will bring to market is progressing well,” he added.

The companies are talking to grain trader Frontier Agriculture for locally grown wheat feedstock and with AB Agri to market the DDGS (distillers dried grain with solubles) by-product. Front-end engineering work will start immediately, with Aker Kvaerner leading the project and Praj providing the technology.

By: Nigel Davis
+44 20 8652 3214

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