Bioplastics on the Move! – How Can Plant Engineering React to the Biomass Boom?

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As of 2010, there were seven biorefineries in Germany. The number is 121 for all of Europe. The US is playing a leading role in the construction and operation of biorefineries and in providing support to the industry. The Department of Energy’s Biomass Program alone is providing support for 29 biorefineries.

The question of who will operate biorefineries in the future is a major issue in Germany. The chemical industry is reluctant to take on this responsibility. As a result, chemical parks and the agribusiness are the most likely candidates.

Biomass to Replace Oil Based Products?

The VDI (Association of German Engineers) Technology Center has conducted a study to assess the extent to which biomass and its maximum utilization in biorefineries will replace conventional oil-based production techniques. The study provides information on bio-based production methodologies for 26 precursors (platform chemicals). There are strong indications that production is being migrated to bio-based techniques on eleven of these precursors.

To take one example, production capacity for succinic acid and polylactic acid (PLA) made exclusively of biomass is expanding worldwide. Biotransformation of biomass in living cells or biocatalysis using isolated enzymes or enzyme systems is widespread in the white biotech industry. A very wide range of microorganisms are used for biotransformation, the most common ones being yeast, Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium glutamicum.

A Variety of Raw Biomass Needs Different Technology

A variety of hexoses (C6 sugar) such as glucose and fructose serve as precursors which can for example be isolated from the biomass through hydrolytic pretreatment. A different methodology is needed for lignocellulose, however, to separate the non-fermentable lignin from the sugar. Currently, lignocellulosic biomass passes through a mechanical or chemical pretreatment process using acids, phenol derivatives or hot steam and, to an increasing extent, hydrolytic-catalytic pretreatment with cellulases. Hemicellulose recovered from the lignocellulose has a high pentose content (C5 sugar), for example xylose, and particular microorganisms are needed to break these substances down.

To roll out competitive, cost-effective bio-based production on an industrial scale, a number of technical hurdles will have to be overcome.... how plant engineers solve problems from biomass logistics, processing and product purification on page 3!

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