Mannvit Engineering plans to design and operate a pilot plant in cooperation with the University of Akureyri. What is special about this project is the use of thermophilic bacteria from hot springs, which are capable of degrading, to some extent, cellulosic material to ethanol and hydrogen.
Mannvit is currently cooperating with the University of Akureyri in two bioethanol research and development (R&D) projects. These projects are, the process design and feasibility study for 2nd generation bioethanol production, and R&D on conversion of crude glycerol from biodiesel production into ethanol, respectively.
About Bioethanol:
Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermenting the sugar components of organic materials, typically from sugar and starch crops, but new technologies are being developed. Lignocellulosic biomass, such as various types of waste, e.g. agricultural waste such as straw, and waste from wood and paper industry, are potential feedstocks for ethanol production. Also, lignocellulosic biomass obtained by cultivation, such as alfalfa grass, switchgrass and hemp, are also being researched for this purpose. Ethanol can be used as a gasoline additive for vehicles to increase octane and improve vehicle emissions. Typical mixtures are 5% and 10% ethanol (E5 and E10) for conventional gasoline cars, and 22% and 85% ethanol (E22 and E85) for flex-fuel vehicles.
Production of bioethanol from starchy or sugar-rich material by microbial fermentation (mainly yeasts) is a well known process, and is widely used. The largest producers are U.S.A. and Brazil, reaching back to the oil crisis in the 1970‘s. Ethanol produced this way is commonly referred to as 1st generation bioethanol.
Ethanol produced form cellulosic rich biomass is a 2nd generation bioethanol. The production is based on the use of raw materials such as lumber, grass, straw, waste paper and various agricultural residues, which are not used as animal feed or for human consumption.
Today, bioethanol production accounts for approximately 94% of all biofuel production in the world, with about 60% of the production coming from sugar and 40% from other crops. It has been estimated that all available lignocellulosic biomass could yield approximately 1670 billion liters replacing approximately 32% of the global petroleum consumption if used as E85.
Cellulosic Ethanol:
Cellulosic ethanol, often referred to as second generation bioethanol, is created from the cellulosic and hemicellulosic parts of lignocellulose, a structural material that comprises much of the mass of plants. Ethanol made from lignocellulose is preferred to ethanol made from other sources because the raw materials are plentiful, typically of low value and not a food source. Cellulosic ethanol differs from ethanol made from other sources in the way it is processed.
The two primary ways of producing ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks are:
- Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Fermentation: the process of breaking down the cellulose into smaller units (hydrolysis reaction) on pretreated lignocellulosic materials followed by fermentation and distillation.
- Gasification and Fermentation or Chemical Reaction: the conversion of lignocellulosic materials into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. These gases are then converted to fuel ethanol through fermentation with bacteria or chemically catalyzed reaction.
Fuel production technology:
In order to produce ethanol, first a process involving fermentation or gasification of the raw material, as being described is applied. After the ethanol formation, separation of ethanol from water is required. This is usually accomplished by various types of distillation and absorption processes. Byproducts can also be a key element in ethanol production. For example, distiller’s grain (which can be used for livestock feed) is produced with corn based ethanol production and can be sold to improve the economic aspects of the ethanol production.
Bioethanol project highlight:
Mannvit is currently working on a research & development project in cooperation with the University of Akureyri where the aim is to utilize thermophilic bacteria from hot springs for production of cellulosic ethanol, and to build a pilot plant based on the obtained results.
Mannvit services:
- Ethanol plant process engineering
- Research and development projects
- Testing and optimization
- Energy efficiency optimization in the production of ethanol
- Pilot plants for process refinement
- Provides economic method for testing new feed stocks
- Tests of alternate fermentation methods
- Energy balance predictions based on small scale tests and process simulations
- Utilization of byproducts