The demonstration project called Integrated Biorefinery has found sweet success.
Conceived by CRB Innovations, the sugars prepared through this fractionation technology will allow the company to position itself in the “preparation of biogenic intermediates valorized in existing or new finishing hubs,” according to CRB sources.
Developed in its Westbury Demo facility (capacity of 3.6 tonnes/day, of wood, dry basis, as input) the sugars have been fermented by GreenField Global near CRB’s commercial corn ethanol plant at Varennes, Que.
According to a CRB press release, an estimated 7,000 L of ethanolic beer at 3.7 per cent (w/v) have been produced.
The CRB sugars have been derived from coniferous residues from the Eastern Townships using the FIRSST deconstruction and hydrolytic fractionation technology developed by CRB.
The project utilized the “hub and spoke” approach – regional satellite plants producing intermediates upgraded and valorized in finishing plants). Beyond the ethanolic fermentation, the project has also proven the feasibility of the C5 and C6 conversions to valuable furan-derived compounds and the conversion of lignin into bio-naphta and bio-kerosene as well as specialty oxy-aromatic monomers.
The project was supported by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and the ministère de l’Énergie et des Ressources naturelles du Québec (MERN) along with the Fonds Vert, Québec.
(CRB Innovations Inc.)
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