Biofuel production from waste streams
A wide variety of wastes can potentially be used as biofuels feedstocks:
- Municipal solid waste - the component of municipal solid waste which is of biological origin (mainly kitchen and garden waste, paper and cardboard, but including the proportion of other waste fractions which are of biological origin.
- Construction/Demolition wood – wood offcuts from building construction and wood recovered during demolition
- Packaging waste wood - from the packaging and palettes industry (palettes, crates, etc)
- Household waste wood – items such as old furniture, fencing
- Market waste – such as green tops and unsold vegetables from markets
- Sewage sludge
- Food processing wastes – wastes from the dairy and sugar industry and wine and beer production. Waste streams with less volumes involved (e.g. orange rests from orange juice production) can also be of interest.
- Gardening wastes – grass cuttings, leaves and small branches
Sewage sludge is converted to biogas via anaerobic digestion. Food industry waste may be converetd to ethanol via fermentation. Waste cooking oils, for example, can be filtered and used as SVO or converted to biodiesel. Lignocellulosic (woody) or mixed waste materials may be converted to biocrude via pyrolysis/thermochemical routes. The conversion technology used depends on the precise nature and voume of waste that is available.
Such biofuels produced from organic waste materials are generally considered to be sustainable, even if they use first generation conversion technologies, as they do not impact significantly on land-use, indirect effects, food prices, etc.
Examples of biofuels from waste streams
In November 2009, INEOS Bio, UK announced a £3.5m feasibility study for a commercial plant to convert locally generated biodegradable household and commercial wastes into bioethanol and electrical power using a combined thermochemical and biochemical technology. The study, including detailed engineering design, is being supported by a £2.2m grant from the Regional Development Agency One North East and the Department for Energy and Climate Change.
At the heart of the INEOS Bio technology is an anaerobic fermentation step, through which naturally occurring bacteria convert gases derived directly from biomass into bio-ethanol. The process supports high recycling and high landfill diversion rates.
IMECAL is working with CIEMAT and FORD Spain on the PERSEO pilot plant to demonstrate production of bioethanol from MSW. These partners, as well as AVEN, are also operating the ATENEA pilot plant, to demonstrate the the conversion of citrus wastes into cellulolsic ethanol.
View ATENEA
presentation from SPM2
View PERSEO
presentation from SPM2
© Copyright
Neste Oil
Neste
Oil NExBTL plant in Finland can use a mix of vegetable oil and waste
fat for production of biodiesel.
View
at larger size >>
© Copyright
St1
The St1 Biofuels Oy filling station in Finland
retails Etanolix® - bioethanol produced from food industry waste
and side streams. View
at larger size >>
St1 Biofuels is currently developing next generation bioethanol Bionolix™ produced from a wider range of commercial and domestic wastes.
In Austria, M-Real Hallein AG is developing a concept to produce bioethanol from wood sugars derived from sulfite spent liquor (SSL), a by-product of paper and pulp production.