Ethanol, bioglycol plant planned in China

M&G Chemicals plans to construct a second-generation biorefinery in China to convert 1 million metric tons of biomass into ethanol and bioglycols. The project is a joint venture with Chinese company Guozhen Group Co., which will supply wheat straw and corn stover to the project. The company will also utilize the lignin coproduct produced at the plant to feed a 45 megawatt cogeneration plant that will be co-located with the biorefinery. 

The proposed plant will employ Prosea technology licensed from Beta Renewables, a joint venture of Biochemtex of the Mossi Ghisolfi Group, U.S. private equity fund TPG, and Danish enzyme producer Novozymes. Once complete, the plant will handle approximately four times the volume of biomass processed at Beta Renewables’ first commercial facility in Crescentino, Italy, which was commissioned in October. 

In addition to ethanol, the plant will produce mono-ethylene glycol (MEG), which is used in the production of synthetic polyester fibers and polyethylenbe terephthalate (PET). Novozymes has announced it will provide $35 million to the project, and will supply enzyme technology to the plant on an exclusive basis for 15 years.