Bio fuels for transport purposes
In the fight against global warming, we will have to win some decisive battles in the transport sector. We need cleaner alternatives to diesel and petrol, and all over the world there are high expectations for bio fuels such as bioethanol.
Global focus on bioethanol
The EU has defined a target that bio fuels should make up 5.75% of all transport fuels by 2010, 10% by 2020 and 25% by 2030. The long-term goals are subject to second-generation bio fuels becoming available in the market. The United States has a similar target of 30% bio fuels by 2030. As long as petrol does not contain more than 10% bioethanol, car engines will not have to be modified. In other words, it will involve very little cost.
DONG Energy focusing on second-generation bioethanol
Bioethanol is already being produced in large volumes in the United States and Brazil. The problem is that it is being produced from foods (first generation). At DONG Energy, we are trying to develop second-generation bioethanol based on residual products such as straw.
Avoiding an impact on food production
We aim to demonstrate the second-generation technology in large scale next to our power plant located in Kalundborg on Zealand. The plant will demonstrate how we can integrate second-generation technology with power and heat production as well at with first generation bioethanol production. We want to demonstrate that it is possible to produce bioethanol in an intelligent manner that does not impact negatively on food production. At the same time, we hope to sell the technology to first-generation plants all over the world.
Power plant symbiosis
The production of bioethanol is energy-intensive. At DONG Energy, we therefore aim to demonstrate the major synergies available from locating a bioethanol plant in the vicinity of a power plant.
Large amounts of waste heat from power generation can be channelled to a bioethanol plant and used as steam in the processing of straw. In Denmark, we already have many examples of waste heat being used for district heating purposes. But in other parts of the world where the climate is warmer and there are no district heating networks, waste heat is generally not utilised. Looking beyond Denmark, therefore, DONG Energy’s model offers a huge energy savings potential in the production of bioethanol.
Bio fuel as a by-product
Synergy works both ways. When DONG Energy produces bioethanol, we create two by-products: animal feed and a solid bio fuel that power plants can use in place of coal. Unlike other types of biomass (such as straw or waste), there are no technical restrictions to how much of this solid bio fuel can be used to fuel a power plant. Thus, CO2 neutral bio fuel can be used to significantly improve a power plant’s CO2 performance.