Clariant Completes Construction of First Cellulosic Ethanol Plant in Romania

In a recent announcement made by Clariant it was revealed that the company had completed the construction of the first sunliquid cellulosic ethanol plant in Podari, Romania. The completed construction of the ethanol plant is the next step in the deployment of the sunliquid technology supporting Clariant’s sunliquid licensing business strategy. The plant will be operational in the fourth quarter and will be producing cellulosic ethanol from agriculture residues.

The investment and the commercial success of this new technology is a new milestone for Clariant. This is a further proof that points towards company’s ambitious growth strategy which is led by innovations that contribute to a more sustainable world.

The plant also brings with itself substantial economic benefits for the region and promotes sustainability. The feedstock which is to be sourced locally will help in overall greenhouse gas emission reduction. The facility will also result in additional business opportunities rising along the regional value chain.

The co-production of several products in the process will be utilized in the conversion to renewable energy thereby converting the plant into carbon neutral facility. The resulting cellulosic ethanol will be carbon neutral in that the feedstock is renewable in nature and also the energy used for the production process is also renewable in nature.

Bioethanol is a biobased fuel which is produced from biobased feedstocks including agricultural residues. It is a zero emission fuel which has potential to be blended with petrol and diesel in various compositions to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Various countries including the US, China, India have set blending targets ranging from 10% to 20% blending. This has generated ample demand for bioethanol. The demand for bioethanol stood at around 110 billion litres in 2020 and is expected to rise at a CAGR of around 8% in the upcoming years.

As per ChemAnalyst, “the plant by Clariant is an indication that the companies are moving towards more sustainable chemical solutions and the demand for bioethanol is rising all throughout Europe. The demand for bioethanol is rising in Europe due to rising awareness about sustainability, and increasing demand for carbon neutral fuels.”