Assessment and Development of Pretreatment for Sugarcane Bagasse to Commercialize Cellulosic Ethanol

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Assessment and Development of Pretreatment for
Sugarcane Bagasse to Commercialize Cellulosic
Ethanol TechnologyGeorge Philippidis,
Ph.D.Associate DirectorApplied Research Center
(ARC) at FIUMiami, Florida2007 Farm to Fuel
SummitJuly 20, 2007
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• State of Florida awards 1M to FIU to develop
  cellulosic ethanol technology in partnership with
  Florida Crystals Corporation (FCC).
• FCC will match with additional 1M.
• FCC, the largest US sugar producer with
  operations in the USA and the DR, annually
  generates and converts 500,000 dry tons of
  bagasse to renewable energy via cogen in South
  Florida (potential for 40MM gpy plant).
• A commercial cellulosic ethanol plant at the
  sugar mill will reap the great benefits of
  reduced capex and lower production costs thanks
  to extensive synergies.

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Energy Security viaFuel Diversification

• Gasoline, diesel, NG
• Cellulosic Ethanol
• Biobutanol etc
• Biodiesel
• Hybrid
• Electric (Plug-In)
• Fuel Cells
• Hydrogen

• Gasoline, Diesel, Natural Gas
• Corn Ethanol-Gasoline (E10, E85)
• Diesel-Biodiesel (B2)
• Hybrid (Gasoline-Electric)

Advantages Energy diversity and security Lower
emissions Sustainability Disadvantages Unproven
technology New infrastructure Need to educate
the public
Advantages Proven technology High
reliability Distribution system Disadvantages Impo
rted energy Emissions
Advantages Less imported energy Lower
emissions Disadvantages Limited biofuels
availability Need to educate the public
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Conventional Ethanol

• Established technology
• Strong political backing and investor interest
• Limited crop availability (corn, cane, cereal)
• All US corn today could replace only 12 of US
  gasoline use
• Require fertilizers and irrigation
• Ethanol cost hostage to food supply pricing (and
  vice versa)

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Cellulosic Ethanol

• Cellulosic Biomass is abundant and inexpensive
• Bagasse, paper pulp, corn stover, straw
• Cellulosic ethanol New technology, but
  significant progress made over last 10 years
• US companies are technology leaders
• First demo facilities use wheat and wood

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How Much Ethanol?
Source Global Petroleum Club
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Cellulosic Biomass The Domestic Fuel Source
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Biomass-to-Fuels Technologies

• Biochemical
• Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Fermentation
• Chemical Hydrolysis and Fermentation
• Gasification and Fermentation
• Chemical
• Gasification and Catalytic Conversion
• Carbohydrate Reforming

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Economic Considerations

• Cost of capital investment
• Green plant (gtgt2.00/gal ethanol capacity)
• Need vertical integration within existing plants
• Share power, utilities, storage, process
  integration, operating know-how
• Prime example of synergy in Florida sugarcane
  plants
• Cost of transported biomass
• Biomass is local!
• Be close to the source (and control it)
• Bottom line Cost of cellulosic sugar
• Need to be competitive without subsidies

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Biochemical Technology
BIOMASS
SUGAR NUTRIENTS
CELLULOSE LIGNIN
XYLOSE
CHEMICALS STEAM
CO-GENERATION
WATER TREATMENT
ETHANOL
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Biomass Handling

• Composition
• Moisture content
• Particle size
• Consistent feeding rate
• Mixed feedstocks?

BIOMASS
CHEMICALS STEAM
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Biomass Pretreatment

• Objectives
• Convert hemicellulose to sugars
• Make cellulose digestible to cellulase enzymes
• Challenges
• Conversion efficiency
• Elevated temperatures and pressures, use of
  chemicals
• Decomposition products
• Destruction of sugars
• Inhibition of microorganism downstream
• Byproducts need disposal or treatment
• Need fast and effective reaction
• Dilute acid, concentrated acid, steam explosion,
  hot water
• Alkaline treatment, ammonia explosion, solvents

BIOMASS CHEMICALS STEAM
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Project Overview

• Objective Identify a biomass pretreatment
  process to render sugarcane bagasse digestible to
  fermentable sugars in a cost-effective way.
• Partners Florida International University (FIU)
  and Florida Crystals Corp (FCC).
• Unique public-private partnership combines
  cellulosic technology expertise (FIU) with
  commercial operation expertise in agribusiness
  (FCC).
• State of Florida will benefit from partners
  proven ability to deploy and commercialize
  technologies.

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Project Rationale

• Florida has tremendous potential in biofuels
  business
• Third largest consumer of gasoline in the USA
  (8.5MM gallons per year)
• One of the top biomass producers in the USA
  (sugarcane, wood, citrus peel)
• Leading cellulosic technology expertise at State
  institutions
• Strategic location in the largest ethanol market
  (USA and Brazil)
• Florida can become a national and international
  frontrunner in biofuels
• FIU and FCC have the skill set and hand-on
  experience needed to integrate and help
  commercialize biomass-to-ethanol technology
• Critical to commercialization of
  biomass-to-ethanol is a pretreatment process that
  is
• Scaleable and Efficient
• Cost-effective

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Project Objectives

• Assess lab-scale efficacy of pretreatment
  processes on bagasse
• Scale up most promising pretreatment process
• Optimize selected process to derive data for
  commercial operation
• Assess techno-economic feasibility of
  bagasse-to-ethanol integrated process

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Lab Scale Assessment(months 1-12)

• Test thermochemical treatments on bagasse
• Measure sugar release and enzymatic digestibility
• Rate pretreatment efficacies, including waste
  generation

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Pretreatment Scale-up(months 12-18)

• Identify key scale-up variables
• Design and construct pilot facility
• Test pretreatment conditions at pilot scale

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Pretreatment Optimization(months 18-30)

• Perform large-scale pretreatment runs
• Optimize process through factorial design
• Generate data as basis for bagasse-to-ethanol
  commercial operation

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Process Techno-Economics(months 18-36)

• Use pilot-plant material to measure enzymatic
  digestibility and fermentability
• Generate process flow diagrams and mass/energy
  balances
• Determine economic bottom line of integrated
  process

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Benefits to Florida

• Large Market Opportunity
• E10 in Florida translates into a 850MM gpy market
• Economic Development
• Investment, employment, agribusiness expansion,
  rural revitalization, exports to Latin America
• Better Use of Natural Resources
• Florida-grown renewable biomass (e.g. 500,000 dry
  tons/year sugarcane bagasse) is worth a lot more
  as ethanol
• Energy Efficiency
• Co-production of food and fuels
• Public Awareness
• Educate public, educators, policy makers, and
  regulators about new fuels (engine performance,
  air quality, conservation, national security)

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Success in Biofuels Business

• Long-term commitment to biofuels
• Strategic partnerships
• Raw material procurement
• Technology providers
• Product blending and distribution
• Control of biomass
• Integration of best technologies
• Risk management
• Follow the Pilot-Demo-Commercial path
• Government support
• Federal and State funding and tax incentives
• Carbon credits in the future

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Technology Developmentin Florida by ARC

• Technical and Business Expertise
• Biofuels (ethanol, biodiesel, hydrogen)
• Renewable Energy (biomass, PV, wind, fuel cells)
• Market assessment and policy analysis
• Testing Facilities
• Fully-equipped lab facilities
• In-doors and outdoors testing facilities
• Strategic Relationships
• Private industry, National Labs, and Government
• Intimate knowledge of and close relations with
  Latin America

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Contact Information

• George Philippidis, Ph.D. Stephen Clarke, Ph.D.
• Associate Director Director of Industrial RD
• Applied Research Center at FIU Florida Crystals
  Corporation
• 10555 W. Flagler St., EC 2100 21250 US Hwy 27
• Miami, FL 33174 South Bay, FL 33493
• [phone] [phone]
• George.Philippidis_at_arc.fiu.edu Stephen_Clarke_at_flo
  ridacrystals.com
• www.arc.fiu.edu www.floridacrystals.com