Bioenergy market
Worldwide, bioenergy – in particular, bioethanol, has been identified as the most likely successful replacement for fossil fuels. Ethanol is a higher octane fuel than gasoline and is a clean burning fuel. It could play a crucial role in slowing down the rate of global warming and has also been identified for its huge potential in reducing hunger and poverty in developing countries.
The world market for ethanol in 2011 was about 98 billion litres (F O Licht) – By 2020 world market demand for fuel ethanol is expected to be more than 160 billion litres. However, much current debate focuses on the negative aspects of bioethanol production – namely, sharply increased food prices and erosion of biodiversity and large scale production costs. Bioethanol can only become a significant strategic environmental important fuel for large market penetration if it can be produced at a whole sale cost of about $1 per gallon.
Overcoming the barriers to acceptance
| Barrier: Recent studies have suggested that no second-generation biofuels (ie biomass to liquid fuel technologies, namely bioethanol) have the potential to become commercially available on a large scale within the next five to eight years – that is, in time to have a significant effect on global warming and the reduction of carbon emissions. | Solution: Biocaldol’s scientists have developed a system that will efficiently turn all sugars into ethanol in commercial quantities. Its bioprocessing technology can convert biomass into ethanol, other valuable chemicals and additional bioproducts using genetically-engineered micro-organisms. After further testing to industrialise the process, the system is expected to be fully commissioned on a commercial plant within 12 months, giving Biocaldol a significant competitive edge. |
| Barrier: Research has questioned whether second-generation biofuels have the potential to significantly reduce large-scale carbon emissions. | Solution: Biocaldol’s proprietary technology is the first to successfully commercialise a way of converting all sugars in plant waste into commercially-viable quantities of ethanol. Thus potentially increasing the volume of fuel derived from the same amount of feedstock whilst enhancing the co-product animal feed which in turn improves the carbon emissions benefit of the technology. |
| Barrier: Critics have pointed out that major ‘biological barriers’ exist that need to be overcome if bioethanol is to become a viable option. Better understanding of plant physiology and the mechanisms that prevent waste biomass being broken down by fungi and microbes will be needed before scientists can make a major breakthrough. | Solution: Biocaldol’s scientists have made that breakthrough. Their proprietary process successfully utilises not just the readily-available C6 sugars in plant feedstocks, but also the C5 sugars which – until now – have been largely under-used. This means that plant waste can be used to viably produce ethanol for the first time by increasing the ethanol production by 30-40% and the bi-product credit(eg animal feed) by 10%. Biocaldol’s patents have already been granted in many parts of the world, whilst others are going through National phases. |