Imagine an industrial production of advanced bioethanol, biogas, electricity and district heating – all integrated in one, single concept. In a few years this innovative concept called Maabjerg Energy Concept could become the first full-scale biorefinery in Denmark. But to make it happen policy makers need to create a market pull for sustainable biofuels, investor says.
In recent years demonstration and industrial plants producing advanced also called 2nd generation (2G) bio-ethanol made from residues such as straw or corn stover have been build around the world – or arejust about being built.
In Denmark the bio-ethanol demonstration plant Inbicon near Kalundborg has been producing 2G bio-ethanol from wheat straw since 2009. But in the beginning of 2017 the consortium Maabjerg Energy Concept I/S (MEC) expects to have the first Danish full-scale 2G bio-ethanol production ready near Maabjerg, Holstebro – situated in a rural area in Jutland. The plant will produce 70 million litres of bioethanol per year from 250,000 tons of straw: ”But this is not just another ethanol plant, ” says Jørgen Udby, Chairman of MEC, ”It is an integrated biorefinery.”
A rendering of the Maabjerg integrated biorefinery
Using side streams lead to high energy efficiency
MEC integrates the existing combined district heating and power plant ’Maabjergværket’ from 1992 and a newly build biogas plant, Maabjerg BioEnergy, using manure and industrial waste as feedstock, with a future 2G bio-ethanol plant.
Through this unique concept the three plants will be interlinked so they can take advantage of each other’s production and side streams. The ethanol plant will produce bioethanol through mixed fermentation of both the C6 and C5 (molasses) sugars pulled from the straw by enzymes. The by-product vinasse will be used in the biogas production and the lignin will be used as fuel in the heat and power production, while the district heating plant partly will work as a cooling medium for the bio-ethanol production steam. ”This integrated system will lead to an energy efficiency of no less than 96 per cent for the whole biorefinery,” Jørgen Udby says. Beside these central streams MEC expects to take advantage of several side streams too, such as CO2 and phosphate, which can be sold to relevant industries.“If we later on want to go further than just making advanced bio-ethanol and provide purified sugar streams for the chemical industry, it will be easy to add the necessary production modules” .
Using an updated Inbicon technology with a 50 per cent higher ethanol yield
It has been planned from the start, that MEC should use the Inbicon technology, IBUS, in its ethanol production. Up until now only C6 sugars in this technology were used in the ethanol production while the molasses were a by-product used either as animal feed or as feedstock in biogas production. Originally, MEC planned to use the molasses in the biogas plant, but after Inbicon recently has increased its ethanol yield by 50 per cent using a new type of yeast, the plans have changed. Through this new yeast both C6 and most of C5 sugars can be fermented. According to DONG Energy, which is the company running Inbicon, tests have shown this dramatically increased ethanol yield in the IBUS process. The exact yields is a trade secret, but already when using the old and less efficient yeast the ethanol yield was competitive in the market. The increased yield has also led to a serious reduction in the amount of feedstock. First, MEC expected to use around 400,000 tons of straw for the production of 70 million litres of ethanol. Now, only 250,000 tons is needed. Additionally, they have found, that straw from both wheat and barley can be used. This means that the feedstock only needs to be collected in radius of 50 km rather than 100 km.
DONG Energy and Novozymes as investors in MEC
DONG Energy is not only providing an important part of the technology for the ethanol production. The company is also a central investor as the owner of 50 per cent of MEC. A consortium (partnership) of three local municipality energy and waste companies owns the other 50 per cent. “The reason why DONG Energy participates in this project is that we think MEC is the best platform in Denmark to demonstrate our Inbicon technology in full-scale,” Executive Vice President of DONG Energy Thermal Power, Thomas Dalsgaard says and continues: “Through MEC we will be able to show our customers and partners abroad that our technology works in full-scale. This will benefit the commercialisation of the technology.” Novozymes who has provided the enzymes for the 2G bio-ethanol production at Inbicon also finds MEC interesting as a full-scale demonstration platform. The big enzyme company has decided to invest in one of the preliminary stages of MEC. It is not an investment in the actual plant, but Novozymes is part of a so-called product development consortium: “We have decided to invest in this developing phase to prove to ourselves and our future costumers, that this concept works”, Vice President in Novozymes, Lars Christian Hansen says. He finds this phase just as important as building the plant itself: “By having skilled people calculating and thereby optimizing the different processes from price and transportation of feedstock, over pipes to the final products, the project moves from being just a neat power point presentation to being proved as a good idea,” he says and continues: “In this way MEC is completely ready to start building the plant as soon as the framework conditions make it possible.”
Politicians need to create a market pull for 2G bioethanol
The changed political framework conditions on both a Danish and especially European level are crucial in order to make investors believe that Maabjerg Energy Concept actually is a good investment and that they should continue being a part of the project. Right now, there is not a market pull great enough for 2G bio-ethanol to create a proper demand for the future bio-ethanol production at MEC. The costs of both 1st generation (1G) biofuels made from food crops and fossils fuels are currently lower than the 2G fuel costs due to the more complex 2G production process. “With current market and regulatory conditions, we would be producing 2G bio-ethanol with a deficit,” Thomas Dalsgaard from DONG Energy says. Although, he thinks European policy makers will end up agreeing on changing the relevant directives in favour of more sustainable fuels, including 2G fuels, it will probably take some years before it is clear in which direction they will go and what will be the final decisions: “I believe that MEC offers a realistic option for Denmark to be a global front runner of advanced biorefining, but it requires a deliberate policy decision in Denmark. To get an early start, we can’t wait until EU makes a decision on the directives.” Thomas Dalsgaard says.
Written by Julie Søgaard, Head of Innovation & Communication – BioRefining Alliance
