DONG Energy has startet the construction of a demonstration plant in Denmark. The principal purpose of the demonstration plant is to show that DONG Energy’s second-generation technology can be applied on a large scale, i.e. that large-scale production of ethanol from straw is possible.
 


The Kalundborg plant will also demonstrate energy integration with a power station. Steam from the power plant will cook the straw, and residual biofuel from the ethanol plant will be burned by the power plant. Since the cellolosic ethanol plant produces more energy than it consumes to convert the biomass, the end result is an energy surplus that brings down the cost for both plants and demonstrates the efficiency and financial viability of the Inbicon process



The investment is in the range of 300 mio kr; the Danish Energy Authority is helping pay for Inbicon’s design and engineering. 

Since the biomass refinery will be integrated with a coal fired power plant, the overall efficiency of each operation should increase.

The demonstration plant will have four outputs: ethanol, a powdered biofuel, molasses syrup for animal feed, and a natural bacteria inhibitor.

Location:	Kalundborg (at Asnæs Power Station)
Scheduled start-up:	Autumn 2009
Raw materials:	4 tonnes of straw per hour, equivalent to 30,000 tonnes of straw per year.
	Danisco Genencor & Novozymes have been pre-qualified as suppliers of enzymes.
Output:	4,300 tonnes / 5,400 m3 of ethanol per year
	8,250 tonnes of biofuel per year
	11,100 tonnes of molasses (65%DM) per year, which is used for feed, but could, in the future, also be used for bioethanol or biogas production

Unique collaboration at the port in Kalundborg 
DONG Energy’s demonstration of Inbicon biomass conversion technology and production of bioethanol will be located in Asnæs Power Station’s area bordering on the dock in Kalundborg. This will enable the bioethanol plant to be part of the collaboration that involves many other companies in the port area.

Global showcase in 2009
In December 2009, Denmark will be hosting the UN climate summit, COP 15, where it is hoped that a global political agreement on a resolution to the CO2 problem will be reached. The Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012 and a new agreement will therefore concern post-2012 CO2 reductions.

Hosting the climate summit presents a unique opportunity to showcase Danish companies’ skills within efficient energy production, renewable energy sources and development of new energy solutions such as second-generation bioethanol that reduce atmospheric emissions of CO2.

We plan for our demonstration plant in Kalundborg to be ready before the climate summit. That will give us an opportunity to show a Danish and international audience that we can produce bioethanol on a large scale using our new second-generation technology.