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 biofuels such as bioethanol.

Global focus on bioethanol
The EU has defined a target that renewable energy - biofuels included - should make up 10% by 2020 of all transport fuels. The long-term goals are subject to second generation biofuels becoming available in the market. The United States has a target of 16 billion gallons biofuels in 2022%. 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
DONG Energy is at the vanguard of developing high-tech solutions that can convert agricultural residual products into ethanol to be used in the transport sector. For this purpose DONG Energy has established a technology company, Inbicon. The name Inbicon is formed from Integrated Biomass Conversion.

Inbicon’s focus is to develop pre-treatment technology based on enzymatic decomposition of biomass and waste. The technology is to be demonstrated practically on a commercial scale in order to license the technologies to commercial partners, who can construct plants for bio refineries.

Inbicon demonstration plant
DONG Energy and Inbicon has on 18 November 2009 inaugurated the Inbicon demonstration plant in Kalundborg, Denmark. The plant will produce 5,4 million litres of ethanol, 13.000 tons lignin bio pellets and 11.100 tons C5-molasses per year on the basis of 30.000 tons of wheat straw as raw material. The bio pellets can be used as fuel at CPH plants, and the C5 molasses can be used for animal feed and other purposes. Thus, all elements in the biomass are being utilized.

Politicians drove on Inbicion-ethanol at the Climate Change Conference
When the politicians were being transported all over Copenhagen during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2009, environmentally friendly fuel was used. Assisted by Partnership for Biofuels, a co-operation between Inbicon, Danisco, Novozymes and Statoil joined forces to deliver second generation bioethanol for a large part of the limousines that the Danish Foreign Ministry provided during the conference. These limousines were supplied by Volvo.

Statoil has received the first tank lorry of ethanol
In June 2009 Inbicon and Statoil in Denmark made an agreement regarding the delivery of second generation bioethanol to Statoil. The delivery is the first 5 m. litres of ethanol produced at the Inbicon plant in Kalundborg, Denmark. In August 2010, the first tank lorry filled with 28,500 litres of ethanol drove to Statoils´ storage in Hedehusene close to Copenhagen.

Since 2006, Statoil has provided petrol mixed with first generation bioethanol to the Danish car drivers. Statoil intends to offer a new petrol product containing Inbicon's second generation bioethanol from fourth quarter 2010.