Evonik launches next-generation biofuel component at Marl, Germany
With a biological version of a premium antiknock agent in its portfolio (methyl tert-butyl ether, or MTBE), Evonik now offers oil companies a new option for significantly increasing the biocontent of their fuels and reducing their carbon footprint. "Bio-MTBE is the only commercially available, next-generation biofuel component for gasoline in Germany," explains Dr. Rainer Fretzen, who heads the Performance Intermediates Business Line at Evonik. "And it doesn't compete with food production, either." Bio-MTBE is produced in Marl (Germany) along with conventional MTBE.
Evonik produces Bio-MTBE from isobutene and biomethanol. Because it is made from raw glycerine, which is itself a co-product of the biodiesel manufacturing process, biomethanol is classified as a waste product according to the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED)—doubling its value for determining bioenergy content. That makes Bio-MTBE a promising option for fuel manufacturers looking to meet EU specifications for biofuel use and CO2 reduction.
MTBE has been a trusted antiknock agent for decades, and Bio-MTBE possesses the same technical advantages as its conventional counterpart: high energy density (86 percent of gasoline), low vapor pressure, low oxygen content, and very low solubility in water. That translates to excellent compatibility with other gasoline components and to its well-known positive effect on gasoline quality. It also means that Bio-MTBE can be handled safely in refineries and storage tanks and be conveyed by pipeline.
While Evonik has primarily sold Bio-MTBE in Germany and the Netherlands, implementation of EU directives in other member states promises additional growth potential for this next-generation biofuel component. If needed, Evonik could shift the full capacity of its plant (550,000 metric tons per year) over to production of Bio-MTBE.
Latest news
On stream: BASF starts up new world-scale plant for hexamethylenediamine in Chalampé, France
Increase of BASF’s HMD production capacity to 260,000 metric tons Expansion of polyamide business together with polyamide 6.6 production in Freiburg
Clariant's ShiftMax™ 100 RE catalyst powers INERATEC´s groundbreaking e-Fuels plant at Frankfurt Höchst
Industriepark Höchst →Clariant supplies its innovative ShiftMax 100 RE catalyst for INERATEC's first commercial-scale e-Fuels plant in Industry Park Hoechst, Germany. The catalyst enables efficient conversion of green h...
BASF starts commercial operation of Black Mass plant for Battery Recycling in Schwarzheide, Germany
It is one of the biggest commercial Black Mass plants in Europe, with an annual processing capacity of up to 15,000 tons of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and production scrap. This equals rough...
INERATEC opens ERA ONE: Europe’s largest e-Fuel production plant goes into operation in Frankfurt
Industriepark Höchst →The plant in Frankfurt-Höchst is the largest of its kind in Europe and will produce up to 2,500 tonnes of carbon-neutral e-Fuels annually. This will make commercial-scale volumes of synthetic fuels...