Ineos’s technology will produce bioethanol in large quantities from municipal solid waste (MSW), organic commercial waste and agricultural residues.
Ineos Bio Ethanol reportedly releases up to 90% less net greenhouse gases than petrol. One tonne of dry waste can be converted into about 400 liters of ethanol, which can either be blended with traditional fuels or replace them altogether, to substantially reduce vehicle emissions.
The technology, already proven at pilot plant scale, uses a three-stage process. The waste is first superheated to produce gases. Then, through a proprietary process, the gases are fed to naturally occurring bacteria, which efficiently produce ethanol. Finally, the ethanol is purified to make the fuel ready to be blended for use in cars.
Peter Williams, Ineos Bio’s CEO, said: In North America and Europe we will see around 10% or more of petrol being replaced with bioethanol. Our technology will make a major contribution to reducing greenhouse gases and the world’s need for fossil fuels. We expect to announce the location of the first commercial plant shortly and we will aim to quickly roll out our technology around the world. We plan to be producing commercial amounts of bioethanol fuel for cars from waste within about two years.
