CHOREN opens world's 1st biomass-to-liquids plant

17 April 2008 17:04  [Source: ICIS news]

TORONTO (ICIS news)--German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened on Thursday a €100m ($159m) biomass-to-liquids (BTL) plant, the world's first commercial BTL plant, the government said.

 

The plant, by CHOREN Industries, in Freiberg, Saxony, would convert 75,000 tonnes/year of non-food wood-based biomass into 13,000 tonnes/year of BTL fuel, equivalent to 18m litres, it said.

 

Biofuels played a large role in Germany’s strategy to increase renewable energy production, Merkel said at the opening.

 

Synthetic fuels from biomass had the potential to become a major part of environmentally responsible energy production and supply amid rising oil prices, she added.

 

The government has supported the project with €22m.

 

CHOREN’s stakeholders include Shell, Daimler and Volkswagen.

 

CHOREN said it expected to ramp up production at the Freiburg facility over the next 8-12 months.

 

The plant's BTL fuel could be used in any diesel car engine, it added.

 

Earlier this month, Germany’s government scrapped plans to increase bioethanol blending to 10%, from 5%, on fears the higher blend could damage the engines of some 3m existing cars.

 

($1 = €0.63)

By: Stefan Baumgarten
+1 713 525 2653

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