PRODUCTS
BioEthanol
BioEnergo uses sawmill industry sidestream sawdust as its raw material which makes our bioethanol a RED II Part A of Annex IX compliant advanced biofuel. Under the RED II Directive fuel suppliers are obligated to supply a certain minimum percentage of Part A biofuels to their customers - starting at 0.2% in 2022, at least 1% in 2025, and increasing to at least 3.5% in 2030.
* BioEnergo traffic fuels achieve approximately 100%** life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) saving compared to the fossil fuel reference value of 94 g CO2-eq/MJ given in EU Renewable energy directive II. (**Including CCU CO2 capture)
BioGas
Liquid biogas (LBG) is a renewable equivalent of fossil liquid natural gas (LNG) and provides a sustainable traffic fuel option with dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions. BioEnergo’s LBG is EU RED II Part A of Annex IX compliant* advanced biofuel.
* BioEnergo traffic fuels achieve approximately 100%** life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) saving compared to the fossil fuel reference value of 94 g CO2-eq/MJ given in EU Renewable energy directive II. (**Including CCU CO2 capture)
Lignin
Historically lignin has been used as feedstock for biomass boilers in production of heat and electricity.
Bitumen is a fossil liquid binder that holds road asphalt together. Bitumen binder in asphalt can be in part (25-50%) replaced by sustainable and green lignin to create bio-bitumen. Bio-bitumen provides similar characteristics and binding properties in asphalt but in a more sustainable manner and with significantly lower carbon footprint. Using bio-bitumen turns roads into technical carbon sinks in which carbon is locked away for a 100 years and more. Asfalt roads using bio-bitumen exist around Europe and testing and further technology development is continuous.
New uses for lignin are found and developed continuously and lignin is slowly but steadily becoming recognised as one of the key raw materials that will enable green transition on a broad front across many sectors.
CO2
Green CO2 that is captured from a low GHG emission renewable production process like BioEnergo’s is at the heart of the fast growing synthetic fuels industry. Green CO2 is one the necessary components used in the production of synthetic fuels that will be used to replace fossil fuels.
As the CO2 is already once captured from the ambient air by trees and captured again while producing advanced biofuels, BioEnergo traffic fuels achieve approximately 100% life cycle GHG savings compared to fossil comparator of 94 gCO2eq/MJ.
Other markets for purified C02 include various food industry verticals as well as polymers, adhesives and pharmaceuticals.
TECHNOLOGY
BioEnergo I is among the first wave of cellulosic 2g bioethanol plants being built in the EU. BioEnergo uses softwood sawdust and woodchips from local Finnish sawmills as raw material.
BioEnergo’s process technology partners are Praj Industries Ltd. (global market leader in 1g and 2g bioethanol production technologies) and Sekab BioFuels & Chemicals AB (pioneer in biorefinery technologies). BioEnergo I technology and process is based on PRAJ’s Enfinity 2nd generation cellulosic ethanol technology which has been in operation at PRAJ’s demo-plant in India since 2009. BioEnergo I technology and process is also based on Sekab’s proven CelluAPP® enzymatic hydrolysis technology which has been in operation at SEKAB’s demo-plant in Sweden since 2004.
BioEnergo’s production process starts with pre-treatment of softwood sawdust raw material in a steam explosion reactor. This prepares the wood material to receive enzymes. Next step is enzymatic hydrolysis in which the wood material is treated with an enzyme solution that separates and releases valuable sugars from the wood material. Next step is fermentation process in which the released sugars are converted to alcohol (ethanol). Next step is distillation and dehydration in which the alcohol is further refined to transportation fuel grade bioethanol.
As a part of the distillation process stillage consisting of lignin and water is separated. Lignin is diverted to further processing and water is directed to wastewater processing.
Wastewater purification consists of several stages. The first stage is anaerobic treatment (biogas reactors) which produces significant amounts of raw biogas. The raw biogas is captured and processed in a biogas upgrading unit which produces traffic fuel quality biomethane. The biomethane is liquified and transported to customers’ gas fuelling stations.
All CO2 is captured from the process. The CO2 is purified to food grade quality, liquified and then transported to end customers.