Clariant licenses cellulosic ethanol technology to ORLEN Poludnie

Swiss specialty chemical company Clariant has signed a license agreement with ORLEN Południe, a member of ORLEN Group, which is a leader in the fuels and energy markets and the largest player in Central and Eastern Europe, for its sunliquid® cellulosic ethanol technology.

The announcement represents a significant strategic milestone for Clariant, as this second license agreement for its sunliquid technology is another successful step to commercialize its highly innovative and sustainable technology. For ORLEN Południe, the agreement supports the intention to realize a full-scale commercial plant for the production of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues, which will further solidify the company’s position as a forerunner in the Polish biofuels and bio-component technologies.

“We are excited by the continued interest in our sunliquid cellulosic ethanol technology and proud to have signed this second license agreement. It shows that our long-term strategic commitment to innovation and sustainability can deliver additional growth above and beyond Clariant’s current strong portfolio,” said Hans Bohnen, Clariant chief operating officer.

“In line with our strategy, we consistently develop and strengthen the group companies, including ORLEN Południe. We invest in modern technologies and focus on high-margin products, as they will be crucial to maintaining our leading position in the region in the coming years. At the same time, we do not forget about corporate social responsibility and we apply solutions that significantly mitigate our environmental impact,” said Daniel Obajtek, president of the PKN ORLEN
Management Board.

The license agreement enables ORLEN Południe to use Clariant’s sunliquid technology for the project development and plant operation it is planning to execute at its Jedlicze site in southeastern Poland, utilizing available land and the integration potential with the existing Jedlicze petroleum refinery. It is planned that the annual production capacity will be 25,000 tons.

Since July 2012, Clariant has been operating its pre-commercial sunliquid plant in Straubing, Germany, and broke ground on its greenfield first-of-its-kind full-scale commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in southwestern Romania in the fall of 2018. The new plant, with an annual production capacity of 50.000 tons will be a flagship site, confirming competitiveness and sustainability of the sunliquid® technology at commercial scale.

Clariant licenses its sunliquid technology platform globally. Clariant sold the first sunliquid license to Enviral, the largest bioethanol producer in Slovakia, in 2017.