Bio-Production Process to Isobutene Construction of Isobutene Demo Plant Started

Editor: Wolfgang Ernhofer

Global Bioenergies began the construction of an isobutene demo plant in Leuna, Germany. The construction phase will last one year.

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This unique installation has been specifically designed for the production of gaseous hydrocarbons. It will be installed on the Fraunhofer CBP site within the Leuna refinery.
This unique installation has been specifically designed for the production of gaseous hydrocarbons. It will be installed on the Fraunhofer CBP site within the Leuna refinery.
(Picture: Fraunhofer-Zentrum CBP/Gunter Binsack)

Evry/France – These past two years have seen Global Bioenergies focusing on scaling up its bio-production process to isobutene. A first phase has consisted in the construction of an industrial pilot on the agro-industrial site of Pomacle-Bazancourt. Successful start-up was achieved in 2014 and the pilot is now fully operational. The following phase consists in the installation of a demo plant on the petrochemical site of Leuna, near Leipzig in Germany. Global Bioenergies has recently announced having received the corresponding engineering package.

The company announces the launch of the demo plant's construction alongside the reception of a 4.4 million euro loan reimbursable over 5 years. This loan has been secured from a consortium composed of BNP Paribas, Société Générale, CIC and Bpifrance. It is covered by guarantee funds of the Ile-de-France Region managed by Bpifrance.

This new financing will cover the purchase of a complete fermentation unit, comprising an inoculation fermenter, a propagation fermenter, and a 5,000L production fermenter. Each are fully instrumented and surrounded by satellite vessels. This unique installation has been specifically designed for the production of gaseous hydrocarbons. It will be installed on the Fraunhofer CBP site within the Leuna refinery. The demo plant's operation will begin in 2016. The demo plant's financing is also supported by a 5.7 million euro subsidy granted end 2013 by the German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF).

Ales Bulc, General Manager of Global Bioenergies comments: "The construction phase of our demo plant now begins. It will be delivered in 2016. The first batches will be commercialized in specific niche markets and will also allow the qualification of our renewable isobutene in all its applications. Isobutene and its derivatives today represent a 15 million tonne market globally."

Find many more other major plant engineering projects at GROAB.

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