Hyflux ties up with BP to lower bioethanol cost

10 October 2007 05:12  [Source: ICIS news]

By Anu Agarwal

SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--Singapore’s Hyflux is teaming up with BP and Chinese academics to create technology that will lower the cost of making bioethanol amid a global trend towards environmentally friendlier renewable fuels.

The move, if it successfully meets the needs of the biofuel sector, will expand the uses of water treatment firm Hyflux’s expertise and open up another revenue base from the world's search for cheaper alternatives to expensive gasoline.

“There is clearly a requirement for a more efficient dehydration technology in the bioethanol production area and Hyflux is looking for new applications for its membrane technology,” Chris de Lavigne, vice president global consulting with Frost and Sullivan, said on Wednesday.

Hyflux said late on Tuesday that it will collaborate with BP International and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) to develop and commercialise zeolite membrane technology to dehydrate bioethanol.

The scope of the project includes fermentation and dehydration of ethanol and propanol and other mixtures of diols like mono ethylene glycol (MEG), with the first one being the dehydration of ethanol using zeolite membrane technology.

Bioethanol is produced from sugarcane or starchy products like corn and tapioca. This ethanol is then dehydrated or dewatered to produce fuel grade ethanol which can be blended with gasoline to be used as a transport fuel.

Dehydration is typically an energy intensive and costly process.

Zeolite membrane technology increases the efficiency of the dewatering step and have the potential to significantly reduce the energy cost of the production of this biofuel over conventional processes, Hyflux said.

“Following the successful commercialization of our used oil recycling business last year, this new development represents yet another potential business in the energy sector for Hyflux,” CEO and President Olivia Lum said in a statement.

The collaboration aims to take advantage of DICP’s strong technical knowledge in zeolite membranes, BP’s expertise in low carbon fuels and Hyflux’s strength in commercialization of zeolite membrane technology in other sectors like pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, chemical and electronics.

Details regarding the estimated costs savings by using this technology were not available from the company.

Several R&D efforts have been taken in the biofuels industry recently to lower the cost of making biofuels and decrease the energy intensive production processes which have sparked debates about the real benefits of replacing fossil fuels with biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel.

By: Anu Agarwal
+65 6780 4359

< previous article(VIDEO – ICIS news Americas Lunchtime Bulletin 3 November 2009)

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly