Biofuels from algae
Last month, Chiyoda Corp. (Yokohama, Japan; www.chiyoda-corp.com) landed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for building Japan’s first demonstration plant for the production of biofuels (jet and diesel) from algae-based oil. The plant, which is scheduled to be operational by the first half of 2018, will produce 5 barrels per day (bbl/d; 125,000 L/yr) of ASTM-compliant biokerosene, next generation biodiesel and bionaphtha using domestically produced and procured feedstock, such as the microalgae Euglena and inedible plant oils.
The biotech company, euglena Co. (Tokyo; www.euglena.jp) will supply the microalgae feedstock, as well as investing in and operating the plant, which will be located in the city of Yokohama (also co-funding the project) at the Keihin site of Asahi Glass Co. Other members of this cooperative project are the energy-trading company, Itochu Enex; diesel-engine maker, Isuzu Motors Ltd.; and the airline company, All Nippon Airways Co. (ANA).
The partners aim to produce 125,000 L/yr in 2020, which is sufficient to supply the weekly flight from Haneda to Itami with jet fuel containing 10 vol.% of the biokerosene.
Since 2014, euglena has been developing bio-jet fuel, and (in collaboration with Isuzu) biodiesel fuel. In June 2015, the company also entered a licensing agreement with Chevron Lummus Global LLC — a joint-venture between Chevron USA Inc. and CB&I Technology Venture, Inc. — and Applied Research Associates, for the Bio-fuels Isoconversion Process technology.