Biobutanol: The Next Big Biofuel

To face the challenges of climbing petroleum demand (as new crude oil discoveries are not keeping pace, and are forecast to decline) and climate change related to carbon, interest grows in sustainable fuels made from organic matter. Production and use of bioethanol has grown dramatically in the U.S., Brazil, China, and elsewhere. Ethanol, however, has serious drawbacks and limitations that can be addressed by biobutanol, with physical chemical and thermal properties that make it much more like gasoline – higher energy density, lower water miscibility, and lower vapor pressure. Butanol is being commercialized by DuPont/BP and considered by other private and public entities. This study examines the potential approaches to its manufacture (by biological and thermochemical routes), and its economics, global market fit and development, regulatory issues, and practical feasibility. It considers whether and how the new biofuel could fit into the ethanol and petroleum gasoline infrastructure, especially by converting existing facilities and businesses to butanol.

Biobutanol appears to be a much better drop-in renewable gasoline substitute than ethanol. This already widely-used industrial chemical was initially made in an early version of the bacterial fermentation route being looked at today.

Nexant ChemSystems’ new study in partnership with Chemical Strategies, is a timely assessment of biobutanol potential and inhibitory issues. Although focused on sugar fermentations in North America and Europe, other feeds and locations will be modeled for costs of production compared to petroleum gasoline pricing, sensitivities to cost factors, and commercial prospects. This study should be of interest to companies considering market entry or expansion, acquisitions, partnering, or offering goods or services to the emerging biofuels sector, as well as to other stakeholder organizations.

REPORT OVERVIEW

The types of biobutanol routes that will be considered in the study include:

Fermentation of sugar substrates (directly available or made from starches) to biobutanol to blend with gasoline at various levels, including:
- The classic ABE (Acetone, Butanol, Ethanol) route using Clostridium beijerinckii, focusing on recent improvements by MBI and others, and DuPont-BP-British Sugar commercialization plans
- EEI’s “Dual Immobilized Reactors with Continuous Recovery” (DIRCM™) process, using two separate Clostridium strains
- UK ’s Green Biologic’s “advanced technology” utilizing thermophilic strains
Emerging technology for hydrolysis of cellulose using mineral acids, enzymes, or other means, followed by fermentation of C5/C6 sugars to Biobutanol
Emerging technology for dehydrating bioethanol to butanol using Sangi hydroxyapatite (HAP) catalyst
Gasification of various biological materials to make syngas, to produce biobutanol.

These will be evaluated from technical, economic and commercial perspectives. The report will also consider regulatory and practical end-use issues.

For more information, please contact:

Ronald F. Cascone

White Plains, NY U.S.A.

Phone: + 1-914-609-0316

e-mail: rcascone@nexant.com