Global Bioenergies obtains a grant for renewable gasoline additives

Global Bioenergies has announced that its German subsidiary, Global Bioenergies GmbH, secured a €400 000 grant from the BMBF (the German federal ministry for research and education) to finance a 14 month project aimed at producing renewable gasoline additives.

The company will first produce ETBE, a molecule obtained by the condensation of ethanol and isobutene, and presently used as a gasoline additive in large volumes (worldwide market: 3.4 million tpy). Today, ETBE is only half renewable, as the isobutene used to produce it is derived from oil. For the first time ever, 100% renewable ETBE will be produced at laboratory scale, with the collaboration of the Fraunhofer CBP institute. Isobutene produced at Global Bioenergies' Pomacle pilot plant will be converted into ETBE at the Leuna-based Fraunhofer CBP institute, which will then be shipped to Audi for laboratory testing.

The company will then convert the first batches of bio-isobutene to be produced from the Leuna Demo plant into large enough quantities of renewable isooctane for running preliminary engine testing at Audi.

Reiner Mangold, Head of Sustainable Product Development at Audi, states, "The samples received last year from Global Bioenergies are now validated analytically. We are eager to receive larger batches to run preliminary engine testing. Our collaboration with Global Bioenergies, to develop e-gasoline (Audi e-benzin) is getting up to speed."

Ales Bulc, CEO of Global Bioenergies GmbH, concludes, "We thank the BMBF, as well as the Projektträger Jülich in charge of the detailed evaluation of the technology, for their renewed support. We are presently intensifying our efforts to have our demo plant up and running this autumn."

Adapted from press release by Francesca Brindle

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/clean-fuels/05072016/global-bioenergies-secures-grant-for-renewable-gasoline-additives-audi-engine-testing-3641/