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Second Generation Biofuel Pilot Facility
Location:

Scotland

Client:

TMO Renewables (Rebio)

Industry:

Biotechnology

Challenge:

Pilot plant for 2nd generation biofuel production

Second Generation Biofuel Pilot Facility

Briggs of Burton worked with TMO Renewables to design and build their Process Development Unit (PDU) to scale-up from current laboratory operations and also optimise a bioethanol process for the commercialisation of the technology. The PDU was designed to be capable of accepting a wide variety of raw material feed stocks to generate ethanol from fermentable sugars, and also included a smaller scale pilot “Scale-through” plant.

Project Scope

  • Raw material handling including storage, weighing and batching of raw material
  • Pre-treatment to adjust moisture content, pH and high temperature thermal hydrolysis of raw material plus Flash Vessel
  • 2 Stage high solids loading enzyme hydrolysis of pre-treated material to degrade biomass and release fermentable sugars with external heat exchangers – 1 x 12,000 L & 2 x 6,000 L
  • 3 Stage bacterial culture growth system
  • Batch & Continuous Fermentation of enzyme hydrolysed material to convert sugars to Bioethanol with external heat exchangers – 2 x 6,000 L & 1 x 1,000 L.
  • Product handling including receipt, treatment and storage / disposal of fermented product and other waste materials – 2 x 27,500 L.
  • 1/10 size Scale-through plant comprising; Reactor, Flash Vessel, 160 L2 x 60 L enzyme hydrolysis vessel and fermentation vessels.
  • Scrubber system
  • 3 tank recovery CIP system, plus SIP facilities.
  • Dedicated enzyme & chemical dosing systems
  • Utilities generation and distribution required to operate the process areas detailed above; steam, electricity, water, chilled water, compressed air.

Engineering Services

  • Innovative process design of novel processes including Steam Explosion Thermal Pre-treatment, High solids hydrolysis and fermentation.
  • Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs)
  • User Requirement Specification (URS)
  • Capacity planning including utility and effluent loading
  • Overall Plant configuration and equipment sizing
  • Piping and instrumentation diagram (P&IDs)
  • 3D Model and 2D Layouts including major equipment and piping
  • Electrical design and implementation
  • Functional Design Specification (FDS)
  • Automation Control system and software writing
  • HAZOP review