Upstream Process Considerations for An Integrated Thermo-and-Biochemical Fuels Production Strategy

The National Advanced Biofuels Consortium (NABC) focused on integrated process development research to produce biofuels that are compatible with today’s transportation infrastructure.  The three-year project began with ten thermochemical and biochemical technologies, and included 17 partners from industry, universities, and national laboratories.  Two of the biofuels technologies were integrated into a pilot-ready process by the end of the consortium based on the results of a feasibility study conducted two years into the project.  The Catalysis of Lignocellulosic Sugars (CLS) and Fermentation of Lignocellulosic Sugars (FLS) continued toward the goal of a pilot-ready process, and Hydropyrolysis and Hydrothermal Liquefaction were refocused to address key questions identified by the feasibility study. 

The CLS and FLS strategies both require passing through a sugar-rich intermediate stream.  The focus of this presentation is on the front-end process, producing the sugar-rich intermediate from lignocellulosic feedstock through dilute-acid pretreatment and/or enzymatic hydrolysis.  New challenges and considerations to pilot scale xylose and glucose production from lignocellulosic feedstocks imposed by the needs of the CLS and FLS technologies are addressed and opportunities for future improvements are suggested.