Page 32 - Fuels & Lubes International 2013 - Q1

platforms. More partnerships are in the works
for Zeachem, walsh said.
In the u.S., strong support from both the
u.S. dOe and the u.S. department of Agricul-
ture (uSdA) has been instrumental in helping
companies develop their fledgling technologies.
For Zeachem, funding support from uSdA and
u.S. dOe starting from research and develop-
ment to commercialization has been a tremen-
dous boost. They received uS$1.6 million of
biomass r&d initiative from the uSdA and
another uS$4.6 million for their C3 gasoline pi-
lot plant, plus uS$12 million in agriculture and
food research initiative. Zeachem’s feedstock
supplier, gwr, on the other hand, has received
uS$17 million from the biomass crop assistance
program. In addition, Zeachem has secured a
uS$232.5 million conditional loan guarantee
from the uSdA to fund their biorefinery. In
addition, there are tax incentives, such as new
market tax credits and energy tax credits.
The u.S. rFS program also ensures that
there is demand for these products. established
under the energy policy Act of 2005, it has
been expanded under the energy Independence
and Security Act (eISA) of 2007. It increased
the mandated volume of renewable fuel to be
blended into transportation fuel from 9 billion
gallons (34 billion liters) in 2008 to 26 billion
gallons (98 billion liters) by 2022. every year, the
epA sets volume requirements for each type of
renewable fuel. For cellulosic biofuels, initial es-
tablished quotas were quite high (starting at 3%
of total renewable fuels in 2012, rising to 44% in
2022). however, actual production fell far short;
thus, required volumes were reduced from 100
million gallons (378.5 million liters) to 5 million
(18.9 million liters) in 2010; from 250 million
gallons (946.3 million liters) to 6.6 million (22.7
million liters) in 2011; and from 500 million
gallons (1.9 billion liters) to 8.65 million (32.7
million liters) in 2012. Controversy continues on
how the epA can and would mandate cellulosic
biofuels volume allocation in the future.
The u.S. district of Columbia Court of Ap-
peals has vacated the 2012 rFS standard ruling
which requires epA to “aim for accuracy” and to
consider what would “actually happen” instead.
despite this, epA released its 2013 mandate less
than a week later and raised the volume by 33%
from 2012 levels, from 8.65 million gallons (32.7
million liters) in 2012 to 14 million gallons (53
million liters) for 2013. There is a bill in the u.S.
Congress now pending that seeks to modify the
rFS Act so that cellulosic biofuel requirement is
based on actual production.
Other important players in cellulosic biore-
fining include bp biofuels, Novozymes, dupont,
poet-dSM and Abengoa bioenergy. These five
companies have 88 years’ combined experience
in biofuels. In the u.S., current and planned
facilities are in 18 states; expected production
levels are 109 million gallons (412.6 million
liters) per year.
INeOS bio, whose parent company INeOS
is one of the world’s leading manufacturer of
petrochemical, specialty chemicals and oil prod-
ucts, has a joint venture with Npe Florida to
produce and develop advanced biofuels and em-
bark in other energy projects. The joint venture
has received a uS$75 million loan guarantee
from the uSdA in 2011, in addition to a uS$50
million cost-matching grant that they received
in 2009 to build a biorefinery.
The Indian river bioenergy Center, located
near Vero beach, Florida, u.S.A., is a uS$130
克莱斯勒将使用他们这些平台的产品。还有更多的合
作伙伴在与Zeachem进行合作。
在美国，来自美国能源部和农业部的强力支持
为这些公司开发其新兴技术提供了有力的帮助。对
Zeachem而言，来自农业部和能源部的资金支持包
括了从研究、开发和商业化的整个过程，大大推动了
进程。他们从美国农业部生物质研发举措获得了160
万美元的资金，其C3平台汽油示范装置则获得了另
外的460万美元支持，加上从农业和食品研究举措获
得的1200万美元的支持。Zeachem的原料供应商
GWR则从生物质作物协助项目获得了1700万美元的
资金。此外，Zeachem还获得了农业部额外的23250
万美元的有条件贷款担保，用于其生物精制厂。还有
税收优惠，如新市场减税和能源减税。
美国的RFS项目也确保了对其产品的需求。根据
2005年能源政策法，及2007年的能源独立和安全法
（EISA），增加了可再生燃料的强制用量，调入运输
用燃料的燃料从2008年的90亿加仑（340亿升）增
加到2022年的260亿加仑（980亿升）。环保署每年
会设定每种可再生燃料的用量要求。对于纤维素生
物燃料，初定的配额就比较高（从2012年占总可再
生燃料的3%增加到2022年的44%）。然而，实际的
产量远低于此；因此，2010年的量从1亿加仑（3.784
亿升）调整为500万加仑（1890万升）；2011年则从
2.5亿加仑（9.463亿升）调整为660万加仑（2270万
升）；2012年从5亿加仑（19亿升）调整为865万加仑
（3270万升）。对于环保署未来如何确定并强制要求
纤维素生物燃料的分配量尚处于争论中。
美国哥伦比亚特区上诉法院已判决2012年RFS
标准规则有效，即要求环保署“力争精确”并考虑“
实际可能发生的情况”。除此以外，环保署在不到一
周后发布了2013的强制要求，在2012年的基础上提
高了33%，从2012年的865万加仑（3270万升）提高
到2013年有1400万加仑（5300万升）。美国国会正
在讨论一项对RFS法案的修正案，以便按实际生产为
基础来确定纤维素生物燃料要求。
纤维素生物精制的其他主要参与者还包括BP生
物燃料、Novozymes、杜邦、Poet-DSM和Aben-
goa Bioenergy。这五家公司在生物燃料领域具有累
计88年的经验。在美国，目前在18个州拥有建成和计
划的装置；预计的年生产水平为1.09亿加仑（4.126
亿升）。
母公司为INEOS的INEOS Bio，是世界上领先的
石化产品生产商之一，专注于特种化学品和油品的生
产，它与NPE Florida有一个合资项目，生产和开发先
进的生物燃料，并开展了其他的一些能源项目。合资
企业在2009年建设生物精制厂的5000万美元配套
拔款的基础上，于2011年获得了美国农业部的7500
万美元贷款提保。
位于美国佛罗里达州Vero Beach附近的Indian
River Bioenergy Center是一项高达1.3亿美元的投
资项目，中心于2013年投入使用后，将创造380个直
接和间接的就业机会，其中包括60个全职就业岗位。
他们的专有工艺利用细菌生物催化剂和热化学与生
物化学混合工艺。他们的工艺，类似于Zeachem，对
原料的需求很灵活。他们不是采用农场原料，而是侧
重于利用废弃物，包括家庭、商业、市政固体废弃物，
工厂、林业和农业废弃物。其原因是他们的装置和技
术可以建在任何人们愿意把废弃物转化为能源的地
方。
按公司所说，INEOS的生物乙醇与常规汽油相
比，可以减少90%的温室气体排放。其中试装置， Zeachem’s 250,000 gallon-per-year demonstration biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon, U.S.A. Photo courtesy ZeaChem, Inc.
FUELS & LUBES INTERNATIONAL Quarter One 2013 32