Pilot Biofuel Plant to Produce Cheaper Biofuels With Novel Method

One big challenge in the commercial production of cellulosic biofuels, fuels derived from biomass such as grasses and wood, has been the cost of transporting raw biomass. A pilot plant will be built in Indiana (USA) by the Washington-based Mercurius Biofuels LLC with support from the Energy Department. The plant will use a novel approach to convert raw cellulosic biomass into an intermediate liquid chemical at smaller plants located near the feedstock source, making it more economical to ship to a large centralized facility where it will be converted to fuel.

Mercurius will use acids to break down cellulose and produce an intermediate chemical called chloromethylfurfural. Converting the cellulose to this chemical is more efficient than traditional fermentation process because it can capture all of the available carbon in the biomass. Fermentation releases one third of the carbon as carbon dioxide. Another key feature of the process is the fact that the acids used can be easily separated and then recycled. The chloromethylfurfural can be converted into diesel or jet fuel using industrial processes similar to petroleum refining processes, so it can be marketed easily.

Each part of the process has been demonstrated in small scale, including the final steps of producing diesel and jet fuel that meet specifications for use in vehicles.