Spanish Company Opens Waste to Biofuel Plant

In Spain, the renewable energy company Abengoa has opened its waste-to-biofuels (W2B) demonstration plant that can process 25,000 tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) and produce up to 1.5 million liters of bioethanol.

The demonstration plant converts MSW to bioethanol via a fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis treatment. In this process, the waste material is subjected to various treatments to obtain organic fiber rich in cellulose and hemicellulose, which eventually can be converted into bioethanol.

The bioethanol produced at the plant can be used as an additive to gasoline to increase its octane rating and even as an intermediate for aviation fuel production. It can also be used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, like in solvents or cosmetics industry, for example.

Abengoa claims that W2B is a major breakthrough in waste management which helps to lessen waste going to landfill and at the same time reduce dependence on fossil fuels while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by about 70 percent per kilometre traveled.