French biofuels research going on Marathon at sprint

French biofuels research going on Marathon at sprint. Yesterday, the ECA has closed its tender for the design of a prototype of refinery of biodiesel of second generation on EUR 100 million. In 15 days, the Ademe cause loop of its fund demonstrator of a few tens of millions of euros. Last week, French cereal and their partners launched the study of a bioethanol powered woody plant refinery. Futurol, 74 million euros, provides test pilot research in 2011 and perhaps an industrial prototype in 2016. It will position the France on the road to the biochemical processes.

The other branch of thermochemical production of biodiesel mobilizes intensely these days above the energy. In the centre of attention, the ECA seeks to impose himself on the subject. First because these high temperature processes promise an outlet at nuclear power plants, the same as the production of hydrogen. But also because the Commissioner has promised in the Department of the Meuse, very wooded, implement a biorefinery in consideration of contested burial of nuclear waste in Bure laboratory. The ECA has tried these last months of subsidies in the wake of the Grenelle of the environment.

It was effective without the members of the Jarry commission, mandated by the State to assess pilot projects. From them, the project of Bure did not enough research and development. The ECA including moved to buy the technology neutral, the German subsidiary of Shell, pioneer in this sector. Econduit by the commission Jarry, the Office has the coup launched his own editing in the form of a tender. "Before the end of the year, we want to close the competitive dialogue procedure to acquire the necessary technological bricks." We expect a facility capable of producing 120,000 barrels a year after 2011, and treat 10 tonnes per hour of plants. "Our goal is not to develop innovation but to learn how to integrate existing technologies for the preparation of biomass in gasification, gas processing or Catalysis", explains the "Echos" Bernard Bigot, High Commissioner of the ECA. Financing is not disclosed, but it should involve the CEA to more than 50 million euros and industrials more than 25 million.

The project of Ademe

Some laboratories and industrial were reluctant to contribute to the project of the ECA, seeing the competitor to another very attractive program: the new Fund demonstrator of Ademe ("Les Echos" of September 11) involving several tens of millions of euros. Ademe opened this summer a call to events for a record discount which will be carried out end of September. "The timing is very tight," sighs one of the negotiators. Whereas the driver of the ECA, the objective of the Fund is of technological failures in the second generation biodiesel industry. The project best positioned candidate is worn by Sofiproteol, backbone of the protein chain. Partners include the French oil and finally the CEA Institute which now builds on this project for its searches. The driver would be at Compiègne where already a first generation plant.

All these public and private initiatives seem to rush but they meet a general application. "All lost months penalizes us", provides Benoît Tremeau, Coordinator of Futurol. He knows whereof he speaks: two years were needed for the project to get his subsidy. He had first to survive the disappearance of the Agency of innovation industrial late 2007, he applied the aid. Futurol then to format the ISI of Oseo program, which funds in the amount of EUR 23 million. This summer, the project is finally passed under the new Fund demonstrator Cup.

More important than expected

However, these searches have strongly accelerated lately, as the second generation has become an economic issue and societal much more quickly than expected. The first generation, launched with great fanfare at the beginning of the century, is quickly proved a poor response to the problem of the effect of oil depletion and greenhouse. Carbon footprint is very questionable, to the extent that the Ademe is currently revising its method of calculation. Bioethanol and biodiesel are now competitors for food, because they are made from the seeds of wheat, corn or soybeans. In scientific and political first generation biofuels lynchings, investment refer now to the next. The France is is left behind by the Germany, which has several drivers but also by the Sweden, which already has a bioethanol plant using straw and wood. In Spain, Abengoa will soon start a plant of bioethanol from 70 tonnes per day. In the United States, several prototypes coordinated by the Department of energy are on the road. Even the Japan to acquire a small unit.