Conducted in partnership with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the bioliq™ pilot plantaims at demonstrating the feasibility of a process to produce high-quality sulfur-free fuel from residual biomass. These “second generation” biofuels are produced using the inedible part of plants(wood waste, straw), without any impact on the food chain, as opposed to “first-generation” biofuels produced from the oil, sugar or starch contained in plants like oilseeds, beetroot or cereals.
For this project, Air Liquide provided key technologies for the pyrolysis* of biomass and gas synthesis as well as the oxygen supply needed for the gasification process. Thanks to this process now operating, approximately 7 kg of straw can produce 1 liter of fuel.
These biofuels will be able to contribute to the production of quality fuels, green chemicals, and “Blue” hydrogen (CO2 free hydrogen). They allow a reduction of up to 90% in CO2 emissions compared to fossil fuels.
The next step is to optimize the process in order to ramp up production and prepare for future commercialization.
*Pyrolysis is the decomposition of organic material at high temperatures to obtain other products (gas and materials).
