World’s first BioDME renewable motor fuels plant inaugurated in Sweden
The world’s first plant for production of the renewable motor fuel BioDME was inaugurated on September 9.
“A major step forward for the global biofuels market,” said Kyriakos Maniatis of the European Commission. The plant is built and operated by Chemrec, a Swedish-based technology company, at the company’s development plant located at the Smurfit Kappa paper mill in Piteå, Sweden.
The potential is significant. In Sweden up to one half of all heavy road transportation could be run on BioDME and globally well over 30 million m3 diesel equivalents per year could be produced from the available black liquor feedstock, enough to fuel one million heavy trucks.
BioDME from forest residues over the Chemrec process reduces net greenhouse gas emissions with about 95% compared to use of petroleum-based diesel oil, the traditional fuel for heavy road transports.
This pilot plant is part of the BioDME project where the production of BioDME and its use in heavy trucks is demonstrated. The syngas generation for the plant is based on Chemrecs black liquor gasification technology. The BioDME synthesis and upgrading technology is provided by Haldor Topsøe A/S. Other important components of the project are the distribution system and the vehicle test fleet.
Comments