FAQ and Hot Topics | Bioethanol

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Planning a bioethanol plant VOGELBUSCH has been designing plants for fuel alcohol production since the 1970ies. With a current base of bioethanol plants with a combined annual capacity of about 5 million tonnes of alcohol, VOGELBUSCH is the leading supplier of technology to the alcohol industry worldwide. The statements below can give only an overview of some basic considerations for planning a bioethanol plant. Process design of a bioethanol plant in every single case involves the reflection of certain key issues to ensure top performance - in terms of product quality, process economics, and environmental impacts - to optimise the long-term cost-benefit ratio for the plant. All figures given here are typical and can vary depending on specific project setup. For particular information please email your project details to vienna@vogelbusch.com. Questions & Answers Which minimum capacity is recommended? How much feedstock is required? Can I combine several feedstocks? Which location is favourable? How much space do I need? And the investment cost for such plant? How long does it take to set up the plant? Which minimum capacity is recommended? The economic minimum capacity of a bioethanol plant is at 300,000 liters per day (= 100,000 tons per year) in Europe; provided that energy cost are favourable it may be 100,000 liters per day in other regions. Top How much feedstock is required? For 1,000 liter alcohol (on average sugar / starch content, all on wet basis) the VOGELBUSCH bioethanol process requires: Corn 2,350 kg Wheat 2,700 kg Sugar Beet 10,000 kg Sugar Cane 11,000 kg Top Can I combine several feedstocks? Combination of feedstocks is possible, but higher investment costs have to be taken into account. Top Which location is favourable? Decisive factors for the plant location are short transport routes for raw material and product availability of energy (preferable biomass = CO2 reduction) Top How much space do I need? For a 300,000 liter per day facility 5 to 6 hectare are required. Top And the investment for such plant? The investment for a 300,000 liter per day facility is around 40 to 50 million euros for the process plant, this is however depending on the available infrastructure. Top How long does it take to set up the plant? With permits on hand engineering and construction takes 18 - 24 months. Top	Contact VOGELBUSCH Biocommodities GmbH Blechturmgasse 11 A-1051 Vienna \| Austria Phone +43 1 54 661-0 Fax +43 1 545 29 79 vienna@vogelbusch.com NEWS Ethanol Output Europe 2009 showed again growth in fuel ethanol production and consumption \| eBIO \| July 2010 Sustainability Criteria European Commission sets up system for certifying sustainable biofuels \| June 2010 Directive 2009/28/EC on the Promotion of the Use of Energy from Renewable Recources \| May 2009 Study - Bioenergy from Cereals and Sugar Beet: Energy and Greenhouse Gas Balances \| IFEU \| Aug 2008 HOT TOPICS Biofuels&Food Security Comments of Prof. Michael Schmitz of Justus Liebig University (Giessen, DE) on HLPE Consultation of FAO \| January 2013 FAO BEFSCI BioEnergy and Food Security Criteria and Indicators project \| Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations \| March 2012 EU Biofuels Goals May Increase GHG Emissions \| Bloomberg \| November 2010 World Bank Report Placing the 2006/08 Commodity Price Boom into Perspective \| World Bank \| July 2010 How to use bioethanol Bioethanol can be utilized in combustion engines in different ways: Hydrous ethanol (95% by volume) contains some water. It can be used directly as a gasoline substitute in cars with modified engines. Anhydrous (or dehydrated) ethanol is free of water and at least 99% pure. It can be blended with conventional fuel at rates between 5% (E5) and 85% (E85). Practically all cars nowadays can utilize E5, most of it even E10; the use of E85 requires socalled FlexFuelVehicles. ETBE (ethyl-tertiary-butyl-ether) is a gasoline additive that is manufactured from bioethanol. More on ... Raw materials Second generation Ethanol production
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