Two Cellulosic Ethanol projects to be funded under first NER300 call

BEST cellulosic ethanol project, Crescentino, Italy

On 18 December 2012 it was announced that the BEST project, Italy has been selected to receive counterpart funding of €28.4m under the first call for proposals of the NER300 funding programme for innovative low-carbon technologies. The Project concerns the design, construction and operation of an integrated biofuels demonstration plant in Crescentino (province of Vercelli, Piemonte region, Italy), at a distance of about 40 km from Turin. The Project envisages second generation technology conversion of lignocellulosic biomass from selected energy crops into ethanol. The Project proposes the cultivation and use of a new, autochthonous energy crop, Arundo donax (giant cane).The utilisation of wheat straw as an additional main lignocellulose biomass feedstock is also foreseen. The annual production capacity amounts to 51 Ml/year. Additionally, lignin will be produced as a by-product at some 165 t/year on wet basis.

CEG Plant Goswinowice, Poland

It was also announced that the CEG Plant Goswinowice, Poland has been selected to receive counterpart funding of €30.9m under the first call for proposals of the NER300 funding programme for innovative low-carbon technologies. The Project will demonstrate the production of second generation bioethanol from agricultural residues on a large commercial scale. The Project will make use of ~250000 t/year of wheat straw (75%) and corn stover (25%) sourced from the local agricultural area to produce 60 Ml/year of ethanol. The Project is located in Goswinowice in Poland close to an existing first generation ethanol plant. The Project plant and existing plant will be partially integrated. The co-products, lignin (70000 t dry matter lignin, moisture content 50-60%) and biogas (22.3 MNm3 biogas, 75% methane), will be sold as a fuel to the existing plant which in turn will provide steam for both plants.