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Second-generation bioethanol fuel produced in Italy for the first time
The first biorefinery of the world will produce 75 million biofuel litres per year.
The first biorefinery of the world, producing second-generation bioethanol fuel from non-food biomass is Italian and rises in Crescentino, Vercelli. In function from January 2013, it will produce 75 million biofuel litres per year to be allocated to the European market.
On a surface of 15 hectares, the plant is the result of 150 million euros investment both from the part of the protagonists of the Beta Renewables’ joint venture, such as the engineering company Biochemtex part of the Mossi-Ghisolfi Italian group, the American fund TPG (Texas Pacific Group) and the Danish company Novozymes, as well as the European Commission.
Self-sufficient in what concerns energy consumption, with 13 MW production of electric energy from lignins and the full recycling of water since there is no wastewater, the Crescentino biorefinery employs an innovative technology Biochemtex developed in Italy, PROESA® (Produzione di Etanolo da biomassa).
Combined with Cellic® enzymes produced by Novozymes, this new technology can produce not only bioethanol, but also other biofuels from the sugars inside lignocellulosic biomasses. This process, if compared to others using fossil fuels, reduces costs and 90% of greenhouse gas emissions.
In this cellulosic ethanol biorefinery, the rice straw is the mainly used biomass because of its easy availability in the area. Nevertheless, is going to be developed the use of Arundo Donax in the process for its being cultivable also in marginal lands, without subtracting soil to cultivations.
With the intent of opening new plants in Italy, the Beta Renewables’ CEO, Guido Ghisolfi, declares: “Italy must invest more in R&D. We need less bureaucracy and more investments. Our government should have a strategy of development. We aim at creating here in Italy a system focused on innovation in the bioeconomy to attract researchers and investments. We are now discussing with different Southern Italy regions to invest in the local bioeconomy. We have already invested in Apulia. Next steps will be Sicily and Sardinia. Anyway, we will continue to commercially expand Beta Renewables’ core technology throughout the world, and we are very confident at this stage given the demand we see around the globe.”
Concretely, Beta Renewables is starting to export the PROESA® technology all over the world. In particular, it has already signed agreements with international companies such as the American Genomatica, the Brazilian GranBio and the Californian Caenergy, the last two respectively realizing the first biorefinery of Brazil and a plant in the United States.
On a surface of 15 hectares, the plant is the result of 150 million euros investment both from the part of the protagonists of the Beta Renewables’ joint venture, such as the engineering company Biochemtex part of the Mossi-Ghisolfi Italian group, the American fund TPG (Texas Pacific Group) and the Danish company Novozymes, as well as the European Commission.
Self-sufficient in what concerns energy consumption, with 13 MW production of electric energy from lignins and the full recycling of water since there is no wastewater, the Crescentino biorefinery employs an innovative technology Biochemtex developed in Italy, PROESA® (Produzione di Etanolo da biomassa).
Combined with Cellic® enzymes produced by Novozymes, this new technology can produce not only bioethanol, but also other biofuels from the sugars inside lignocellulosic biomasses. This process, if compared to others using fossil fuels, reduces costs and 90% of greenhouse gas emissions.
In this cellulosic ethanol biorefinery, the rice straw is the mainly used biomass because of its easy availability in the area. Nevertheless, is going to be developed the use of Arundo Donax in the process for its being cultivable also in marginal lands, without subtracting soil to cultivations.
With the intent of opening new plants in Italy, the Beta Renewables’ CEO, Guido Ghisolfi, declares: “Italy must invest more in R&D. We need less bureaucracy and more investments. Our government should have a strategy of development. We aim at creating here in Italy a system focused on innovation in the bioeconomy to attract researchers and investments. We are now discussing with different Southern Italy regions to invest in the local bioeconomy. We have already invested in Apulia. Next steps will be Sicily and Sardinia. Anyway, we will continue to commercially expand Beta Renewables’ core technology throughout the world, and we are very confident at this stage given the demand we see around the globe.”
Concretely, Beta Renewables is starting to export the PROESA® technology all over the world. In particular, it has already signed agreements with international companies such as the American Genomatica, the Brazilian GranBio and the Californian Caenergy, the last two respectively realizing the first biorefinery of Brazil and a plant in the United States.
