INEOS aims to make ethanol from waste in 2 years

21 July 2008 12:04  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS news)--INEOS is aiming to produce commercially viable amounts of bioethanol from municipal waste within two years, the UK-based chemicals company said on Monday.

 

Ethanol production from household waste would avoid the problems associated with biofuels production such as competition for food crops, while releasing 90% fewer greenhouses gases (GHGs) than gasoline, the company said.

 

The new technology would produce bioethanol in large quantities from municipal solid waste, organic commercial waste and agricultural residues, with one tonne of dry waste converted to 400 litres of ethanol.

 

“We expect to announce the location of our first plant fairly shortly and we will aim to quickly roll out our technology around the world,” said INEOS Bio CEO Peter Williams.

 

The waste is first superheated to produce gases, which are then fed to bacteria to produce ethanol. The product is then purified for use in motor fuel, said INEOS.

 

The process was developed in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with biotech company Bioengineering Resources, which has been running a pilot plant since 2003.

 

Bookmark Simon Robinson’s Big Biofuels Blog for some independent thinking on biofuels

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By: Mark Watts
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