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Air Liquide Subsidiary To Build Second-Generation Biofuels Plant

ChemicalProcessing.com
02/06/2009

As part of its policy targeting the reduction of greenhouse gases, the European Union requires that the proportion of biogenic motor fuels should be increased to 5.75% by the year 2010. In Germany, the Federal Government is aiming for a significant higher quota of fuels generated from renewable resources by year 2020. Second-generation biofuels, as they do not use the edible part of the plant, will contribute to this ambitious objective.

In this context, Lurgi, a 100% subsidiary of the Air Liquide Group, will build a second-generation biofuel plant at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Germany, in a joint project with the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT). This pilot plant will demonstrate the viability of the three-stage bioliq process.

Since the first stage of the pilot plant completed in 2007 was successful, it is now entering the second stage.

In this second stage, the bioliqSynCrude generated from straw in the first step is processed to become synthesis gas. The project covers the engineering, construction, supply, installation and commissioning by Lurgi. Commissioning of the gasifier is planned for fall 2011. This unit is substantially sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Nutrition, Agriculture and Consumer Protection under the program for renewable biological resources.

Air Liquide is a Chemical Processing 50 (CP 50 ) company. To view the Air Liquide profile, visit: http://www.chemicalprocessing.com/cp50/2008/air_liquide.html.  To view the full list of CP 50 companies, visit: http://www.chemicalprocessing.com/cp50/index.html.