SACL eyes three Australia sites for biofuels using Comstock tech

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Singapore-based SACL has identified sites in Australia where three biofuel plants could be built that would use process technology provided by Comstock, the US-based company said on Wednesday.

A site in southeastern Australia could accommodate a 250,000 tonne/year renewable refinery, Comstock said.

One in northwestern Australia could be home to another 250,000 tonne/year renewable refinery, the company said.

The eastern coast of northern Australia could have a 750,000 tonne/year renewable refinery, Comstock said.

If built, the three refineries would have total costs of $2.4 billion and produce 160 million gallons/year (606 million liters/year) of gasoline, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other renewable fuels from biomass as well as 140 million gallons/year of renewable fuels from vegetable oils.

SACL also signed an exclusive marketing agreement for Comstock’s processes in Australia and New Zealand.

Comstock’s process technology works as follows:

• It digests and fractionates biomass.
• Cellulose is converted into ethanol.
• Lignin is converted into mixture of hydrocarbons that Comstock calls Bioleum.
• The Bioleum is converted into a deoxygenated oil by using hydrogen.
• The oil is refined into fuel.
• Gas-to-liquids emissions are captured and converted into fuel.