Advanced Biofuels USA Releases White Paper on Syngas Fermentation,a “Third Pathway” for Cellulosic Ethanol Production

Jun 10, 2011

Frederick, MD – Advanced Biofuels USA today released a white paper detailing the mechanics of a third approach for producing cellulosic ethanol, called syngas fermentation, a hybrid of the two traditional major pathways, biochemical and thermochemical. The paper, “Syngas Fermentation, The Third Pathway for Cellulosic Ethanol,” discusses the benefits the process holds and seeks to garner awareness about the pathway amongst biofuels stakeholders.

In recent years, technological advancements have given rise to the combination approach, which captures the benefits of biochemical and thermochemical elements while at the same time mitigating some of their risks. While the approach has been gaining popularity in recent years, it has been largely overlooked, particularly by the U.S. Department of Energy which has defined the two primary pathways as the biochemical and thermochemical approaches.

“The third pathway is a viable pathway for cellulosic ethanol production. Advanced Biofuels USA works to enhance understanding of all available advanced biofuels processes that will reduce our dependence on oil,” said Joanne Ivancic, Executive Director, Advanced Biofuels USA. “This process has unique efficiencies and is ready today to make a serious impact.”

Syngas fermentation utilizes syngas created from gasifying biomass feedstock and ferments it into the desired biofuel or chemical. The fuel or chemical is then separated from water through standard distillation and dehydration to recover the final product. Over the last 30 years, the technology has progressed to the point where today anaerobic bacteria that produce only the desired fuel are being demonstrated at a semi-commercial scale and are ready for commercial scale production.

“Coskata has been utilizing the syngas fermentation process at various scales for years and in fact, it is currently on display at our integrated biorefinery in Pennsylvania,” said Wes Bolsen, chief marketing officer and vice president of government affairs for Coskata, Inc. “Advanced Biofuel USA’s paper fills a major gap in available materials on cellulosic ethanol production and we believe that understanding of this pathway will be beneficial for the entire industry.”
The full paper is available online at: http://advancedbiofuelsusa.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/3rd-Pathway-FINAL.pdf

Source: Advanced Biofuels USA

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