A private-sector consortium headed by the chemical firm DSM will be performing a study into the possibility of a biochemical plant in Rotterdam. The members have brought together a total budget of EUR 16.2 million to this end, including just short of EUR 10 million in EU grants.
The Bioforever consortium, which includes the Port of Rotterdam Authority, is made up of 14 parties. These companies are primarily European frontrunners in the conversion of so-called second generation biomass (which mainly consists of woody biomass rather than food waste) into feedstocks for the chemical industry and fuel production. The combined knowledge of the participating firms spans the entire production chain: from biomass (wood and scrap wood) via biorefining to the conversion of biomass into new products.
The project involves the conversion of various wood types (e.g. spruce, poplar and scrap wood) into ethanol, butanol and other chemicals. A key question in this study will be how to best link the various steps in these processes. Various procedures will be tested over the course of the trial project.
In addition, the project results will serve as a base for a number of blueprints for the construction and commercial operation of a biorefinery that can accommodate these processes. The study will examine whether a plant of this kind fits in Rotterdam’s present cluster. The consortium members view Rotterdam as a promising location for these new production chains – mainly thanks to the expected synergy with existing activities in Rotterdam’s port area.
Source: Port of Rotterdam
