Transforming non-food biomass such as pine wood into cost-competitive, sustainable and low-carbon footprint version of petroleum-derived chemicals and fuels.
Loblolly pine wood is converted into bio-based BTX chemicals and distillates, which can be used as chemicals or as renewable fuels such as gasoline, biodiesel and jet fuel. Byproducts such as carbon monoxide can fuel hydrogen or ethanol production.
Anellotech selected loblolly pine as the first commerical feedstock. It is abundant, relatively low cost, and has low ash content. There is an existing, highly efficient supply chain for growing, harvesting, and transporting hundreds of millions of tons for industrial applications.
The MinFree® and Bio-TCat® processes can be adapted to use other readily available non-food biomass inputs, including woods such as eucalyptus, as well as agricultural residues such as corn stover, empty fruit bunch (palm) and sugar cane bagasse.
Toluene and xylenes from BTX can be used as gasoline blendstock, while benzene can be converted into cyclohexane for biofuel. Distillate can be processed into bio-diesel or bio-jet fuel. The CO-rich gas can be used for cellulosic ethanol or other CO chemistries.
Anellotech and its licensees have a significant opportunity in the PET market, where no renewable bio-paraxylene is currently available. With 54 million tons of PET produced globally and a 5% annual growth in beverage bottle usage, substantial new Bio-TCat plants are needed.
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Efficient Production:
Single-step process for bio-based BTX chemicals.
Bio-TCat™ uses a single fluid bed reactor to thermally break down biomass and catalytically convert it into BTX and heavier aromatics. This efficient process, uses a cost-effective catalyst to produce commercially attractive yields. Unlike thermal pyrolysis, Bio-TCat™ avoids producing highly oxygenated bio-oils, eliminating the need for costly hydrogen upgrading.
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Cost-effective:
Low-cost feedstock for affordable biofuel production.
Anellotech's one-reactor catalytic process offers a competitive edge over other biobased chemical and fuel methods. Using renewable, non-food feedstocks, Bio-TCat™ is more cost-effective than sugar-based alternatives and avoids competing with the food chain.
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Sustainable:
90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Bio-TCat® generates its own process energy from biomass, resulting in a low carbon footprint. Anellotech’s life cycle analysis, validated by Jacobs Engineering, shows over 70% greenhouse gas reduction for Bio-TCat BTX compared to the identical petroleum-based products (when used as chemicals), and over 90% when used as renewable fuel blendstocks.
