DuPont takes steps in developing biobutanol use

"Over the last year, we have accelerated the commercial development of biobutanol," said John Ranieri, head of DuPont Biofuels.

"The demonstration facility, which will begin operation in early 2009, will develop the processing parameters and further advance the commercial deployment of our new technology. At the same time, the growing market demand for biofuels is significant.

We are concurrently investing in the Hull bioethanol facility with the intention to increase that investment once biobutanol process technology development is completed and conversion feasibility is validated."

Biobutanol is relatively more expensive to make than ethanol but can be blended into gasoline at higher concentrations than the typical 10% for ethanol.

DuPont said there was potential to blend biobutanol at concentrations of up to 15-16% into gasoline.

It also has better characteristics when in contact with water, so it can be transported by pipeline - a disadvantage that ethanol faces in its distribution chains.

Although DuPont and BP’s project is only a demonstration facility, the companies said they would convert their proposed new 420m litres/year (330,000 tonnes/year) bioethanol plant in Hull, UK, to biobutanol if the technology became available.

DuPont chief executive Charles Holliday has previously said he did not expect the production of biobutanol to replace the growing ethanol production in the US as both markets would continue to grow.

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