Petrobras and BIOeCON sign joint development agreement
Jul 09, 2010 (Datamonitor via COMTEX) --
Copyright (C) 2010 Datamonitor. All rights reserved
Petrobras and BIOeCON have announced their partnership in the joint development of a process for enhanced conversion of biomass into chemicals that can be used to produce green plastics or biofuels.
The new technology, called BiCHEM (Biomass Chemical Conversion), was developed by BIOeCON together with scientists from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and the Universidad Politecnica of Valencia in Spain.
Petrobras and BIOeCON will work together to further develop this technology and establish proof of concept on pilot and demonstration scales. The first part of the work will be performed in The Netherlands, while the demonstration plant is envisioned to be constructed in Brazil. A joint venture will be established to license the technology once it matures.
Carlos Fraga, executive manager of Petrobras Research Center, said: "The participation in technology based companies, such as BIOeCON, is part of the company's strategy for innovation that involves a strong internal infrastructure for R&D and several technology partners in Brazil and abroad, including universities and research centers, suppliers and even other energy companies.
We seek innovation where ever it is, for solutions that fit our business. In this case, we foresee the use of the chemicals obtained through BICHEM process to produce advanced biofuels such as diesel components of high cetane, higher than ethanol energy density and zero smoke emission. Such technology has the potential to be to diesel what ethanol is nowadays to gasoline."
|
|