Anellotech’s Bio-TCat Technology Viability Confirmed during Pilot Plant Campaign – Moving forward with Commercialization

May 06, 2019

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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) We hear the theme song to Disney’s Carousel of Progress… “It’s a great big beautiful tomorrow…” but it’s also a great big beautiful today because the viability of Anellotech’s Bio-TCat technology has been proven by achieving commercially-targeted yields in its TCat-8 pilot unit in Silsbee, Texas during six months of continuous process operations.

Anellotech’s website says “A practical & commercially viable pathway to bio-derived plastics.” Their video says “For Anellotech, the future is now.” They certainly are making the future happen now. It may have taken years but dreams have turned into reality and now are moving to the marketplace.

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They demonstrated process yields of 22-24% by weight of liquid products from loblolly pine feedstock.

Even more exciting, “Supplemental carbon monoxide (CO) output provides potential for an additional 3-5% yield by weight of cellulosic ethanol via third-party technologies or production of renewable electricity,” according to their press release.

The product

The Bio-TCat reactor produces a liquid product containing over 98% C6+ aromatic chemicals directly from the MinFree-pretreated feedstock. After mild hydro-treating and purification, AnelloMate products – the family of liquid products made through Bio-TCat – meet all specifications for sale as chemicals or fuel blendstocks.

While Anellotech was founded in 2008 and has raised over $80 million in cash and in-kind contributions to date (much of it mysterious and anonymous), their patented Bio-TCat technology is an efficient thermal catalytic process for converting biomass into BTX aromatics (a mixture of benzene, toluene and xylene) which are chemically identical to petroleum-based counterparts. High-purity BTX is used to make commodity polymers such as polyester (polyethylene terephthalate or “PET”), polystyrenes, polycarbonates, nylons and polyurethanes which are used to manufacture a variety of plastic consumer goods such as beverage bottles, food packaging, clothing, footwear, carpeting, automotive and electronic components.

Bio-TCat technology can also produce renewable AnelloMate fuel blendstocks which can be used to lower the GHG emissions of producing gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, and low-sulfur marine fuels.

Anellotech told The Digest last year that they will license its Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis process to industrial users around the world.

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The first plant will be capable of processing 500 bone dry tons/day of loblolly pine wood into 40,000 tonnes/year (860 BPSD) of products including benzene, toluene, xylenes, and C9+ aromatics to use as fuels or for making bio-based plastics for packaging and consumer products. 30,000 tons of carbon monoxide (CO) and other by-product gases will also be produced, for use in generating renewable electricity or used for chemical feedstock.

Anellotech and its partner Axens are looking forward to licensing much larger plants following this first commercialization. READ MORE

Bio-TCat™ technology viability confirmed during extensive Anellotech pilot plant campaign (Annellotech)

Anellotech demonstrates MinFree biomass pre-treatment technology to remove minerals at 20 metric tons/day scale (Green Car Congress)

Bio-TCat™ technology viability confirmed during extensive Anellotech pilot plant campaign (Anellotech)

One Cool Cat – Bio-TCat: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Anellotech (Biofuels Digest)

Anellotech’s Bio-TCatTM technology for making Bio p-xylene, toluene and benzene from woody biomass is ready for commercialization (Annellotech)