Global Bioenergies to construct second industrial pilot plant in Germany

EVRY, FRANCE/LEUNA, GERMANY: Global Bioenergies will construct its second industrial pilot on the site of the Leuna refinery, close to Leipzig in Germany. The new pilot plant will be supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through a €5.7 million grant. The pre-commercial pilot is designed for an isobutene production capacity of up to 100 tonne per year.

The pilot plant in Leuna will combine two 5,000 liter fermenters and a complete purification system, mimicking all aspects of a commercial scale plant. Designed for a production capacity of up to 100 tonne per year, the isobutene produced in Leuna can be used for the fabrication of plastics, elastomers and fuels. Such scale will enable the delivery of samples to industrialists.  This second pilot is the final step in Global Bioenergies’ development program before the full scale exploitation of the isobutene process.

“After conducting a systematic assessment of available pilot facilities in North America and Europe, we have concluded that the Fraunhofer CBP platform in Leuna offers the unique combination of fermentation capabilities and olefin-oriented chemical engineering. Articulating our process with the recognized German knowledge in chemical engineering will be a key success factor,” said Marc Delcourt, CEO, Global Bioenergies SA.

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