PARIS, FRANCE: Air Liquide has just signed a partnership agreement with the CEA (Commission for atomic energy and alternative energies in France) aiming to develop a second generation biofuel production pilot unit in France. CEA will develop a chain of processes – on the Bure (Meuse) - Saudron (Haute-Marne) site, and in the CEA-Grenoble centre – for grinding, pressurising, measuring, and transporting solid biomass (wood in particular) in order to inject it into a burner, with a view to minimising the energy used for this pre-processing.
Air Liquide will develop a new combustion technology that uses a burner running on oxygen instead of air. This pressurised, high-temperature oxygen combustion will make it possible to transform solid biomass directly into synthesis gas. All of the R&D work related to pressurised combustion with oxygen will be carried out in Air Liquide’s Research Centres in Paris Saclay (France), Frankfurt (Germany), and Newark (Delaware , US), as well as in partnership with international research institutes.
“We are delighted about this research partnership with the CEA, which is a leading French player in the field of energy. Air Liquide is involved in concrete projects that aim to develop cleaner energies: second generation biofuels and hydrogen energy will help to reduce CO2 emissions in the coming years. Innovation is at the core of Air Liquide’s strategy,” said Francois Darchis, Senior Vice-President and Member of Executive Committee, Air Liquide.
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