4 June 2015
New and improved processes and techniques, based on the cost-effective production of biobutanol, will produce a new generation of cheaper and more environmentally friendly biofuels.
Such is the aim of the new EU-funded ButaNexT project (Next Generation Biobutanol) which held a successful kick off meeting in Brussels on 21-22 May 2015.
“Our project is designed to test, validate and optimise, at lab and pilot scale, the individual stages of the process supply chain to produce cost-competitive biobutanol from three types of lignocellulosic biomass and waste. The final result will contribute to the European 10% target for renewable transportation fuels by 2020” said Tim Davies from Green Biologics Ltd., the ButaNexT coordinator, during the project kick off meeting.
The partnership includes a multidisciplinary team formed by five SMEs, one large enterprise and three research centres, based in four European countries. Together they will develop new technologies that will allow for the reduction of biobutanol production costs through the diversification of sustainable feedstocks, the improvement of conversion yields and efficiency, and a reduction on energy requirements and water usage.
Based on the final product, the project experts will define the optimal blends of biobutanol with fossil fuels and conventional biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) to improve their performance characteristics for further selection and validation of the most promising ones to be used in gasoline and diesel engines.
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ButaNexT is coordinated by Green Biologics Ltd. (UK) and will be run in cooperation with 9 European partners: Técnicas Reunidas S.A. (Spain), Fundación CENER (Spain), Dyadic Nederland BV (The Netherlands), C-TECH Innovation Limited (UK), University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), VITO – Flemish Institute for Technological Research (Belgium), E4tech (UK), Zabala Innovation Consulting S.A. (Spain) and Greenovate! Europe (Belgium). This initiative is awarded under the topic “LCE-11-2014 Developing next generation technologies for biofuels and sustainable alternative fuels” of EU’s Horizon 2020 programme and it runs with a budget of 4,599,414 EUR.
Tim Davies is the project coordinator, for any queries please contact ButaNexT@greenbiologics.com
Press and media enquiries can be directed to emma.bello@greenovate.eu, +32 2400 1010.