Biorefinery: Biofuels, Biochemicals, and Bioplastics

Biorefinery

A biorefinery operates similarly to a petroleum refinery, but instead of oil or natural gas, it processes biomass to produce a wide range of products. Just as a petroleum refinery turns crude oil into fuels, chemicals, and plastics, a biorefinery converts organic materials into biofuels, biochemicals, and bioplastics, ensuring nothing goes to waste.

The goal of a biorefinery is to utilize every part of the biomass, leaving no waste behind. Another key aim is to replace the products traditionally made in an oil refinery. Specific biorefineries can be customized based on feedstocks and desired outputs.

When using GreenTech Grass as a feedstock, it can be processed through the methods outlined above or in a more tailored approach. Harvested at six months, GreenTech Grass has a moisture content of 75%. To convert it into fuel for direct combustion power plants, a sugar mill can be used to extract juice, resulting in two product streams. One stream is the relatively dry GreenTech Grass "press cake", which can be burned to produce electricity. The other is GreenTech Grass "press juice", rich in nutrients, which can be returned to the fields as an irrigation supplement.

This method provides a sustainable, closed-loop process. The press cake can be used for energy production, while the press juice, containing essential nutrients, replenishes the fields. As a result, GreenTech Fuels ensures that GreenTech Grass is fully utilized, contributing to both energy production and agricultural sustainability.

Customized Biorefinery Concept for GreenTech Grass:

A biorefinery using GreenTech Grass emphasizes the separation and utilization of both solid and liquid components for maximum value creation. The solid part of GreenTech Grass, once processed, can be used for biofuels and electricity production, while the liquid portion can be utilized for high-value products like amino acids, proteins, and animal feed.

First-Generation Biofuels:

Initially, the focus of biorefineries was to replace gasoline and diesel. Countries invested in biofuels like ethanol, primarily derived from corn and sugarcane. However, this led to concerns about using food crops for fuel. The emphasis then shifted toward non-food biomass, such as cellulosic ethanol made from plant residues.

Second-Generation Biofuels (Cellulosic Biofuels):

Cellulosic biofuels are made from non-food biomass, including residues like corn stover and sugarcane bagasse. These biofuels are derived from biomass like GreenTech Grass, which is more abundant and cheaper than food-based feedstocks. Although the conversion process is more complex and costly, there is substantial potential for these feedstocks to replace fossil fuels.

The Biorefinery Model:

A biorefinery based on GreenTech Grass can create multiple high-value products from both its solid and liquid components:

• Solid component (press cake): Can be used for biofuels, electricity generation, or as a feedstock for further processing.

• Liquid component (press juice): Contains valuable nutrients and can be utilized in animal feed, or processed into proteins and amino acids.

The ultimate goal of a biorefinery is to maximize the value of all biomass components, producing low-volume but high-value products like biofuels, chemicals (plastics, detergents, antibiotics), and proteins, while also generating electricity for internal use and potential sale.

Cellulosic Biomass and GreenTech Grass:

Cellulosic feedstocks like GreenTech Grass are an ideal candidate for second-generation biofuels. Studies show that GreenTech Grass offers similar or superior sugar content compared to corn stover, making it an excellent feedstock for ethanol production. Companies in the cellulosic ethanol business, such as POET and Novozymes, have tested GreenTech Grass and found it to be comparable in terms of sugar composition and ethanol yield.

By utilizing GreenTech Grass in a biorefinery, there is the potential to produce both biofuels and high-value products, contributing to sustainable energy solutions while minimizing waste. This approach offers a holistic solution to the challenges of biomass utilization in the production of green energy and chemicals.

Measured C6 and C5 sugar yields and estimated ethanol yield from GreenTech Grass were independently assessed by two companies, with results showing 78.5-80 gallons of ethanol per dry ton.

Land Use Efficiency of GreenTech Grass:
GreenTech Grass outperforms Corn Stover, yielding 8-10 times more per acre. While it thrives in tropical and subtropical climates, the significant advantage lies in its higher yield per acre, making it a superior feedstock for cellulosic biofuels, bioplastics, and biochemicals. When multiplied by the ethanol yield, this shows superior land use efficiency, outpacing Corn Stover and other crops like sugarcane in terms of gallons of ethanol per acre.

Ethanol production from GreenTech Grass is significantly higher per acre due to its high yield, producing the same amount of ethanol as Corn Stover but with much greater efficiency

The high yield of GreenTech Grass can significantly reduce feedstock costs by 40-50%, making cellulosic biofuels and other biorefinery products more economically viable. Additionally, co-locating the biorefinery with the GreenTech Grass plantation further reduces transportation and operational costs, enhancing profitability and sustainability.