The French CEA (the Atomic Energy Commission, Commissariat à l’énergie atomique, now to be called the Atomic and Alternative Energy Commission) and its industrial and financial partners are launching the first phase of construction of a pilot thermochemical biomass-to-liquids (BTL) unit in Bure Saudron, which is located 80 km from Nancy in northeastern France.

The Bure Saudron pilot will demonstrate a complete BTL production chain: gathering and conditioning of the biomass, gasification, gas processing, and conversion to synthetic fuel via the Fischer-Tropsch process. It is intended (to) provide the experience necessary for the establishment of a BTL sector, both for process integration techniques and for the definition of a regional economic model. This will be the first production unit of its kind in France.

Currently, a limitation of BTL processing is the mass yield of the end products. The Bure Saudron project will experiment with a novel solution to increase process efficiency—the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide generated during the synthesis stage of the fuel will be greatly enhanced by the external input of hydrogen. This innovation will be a world first, according to CEA.

Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/12/bure-saudron-20091225.html, 25 December 2009

In view of the above, those seeking more insights on latest developments on Bure Saudron project will be pleased to know that BTL & Bio-Based Chemicals conference has invited Ms Juliette Imbach, Operation Manager, CEA and will be presenting on the topic below:

“First BTL project in France using external hydrogen to boost biofuels yields”

For more information on the conference schedule please click here.