The search for sustainable production of 2nd generation biofuels is an ongoing effort. The aim is to substitute fossil-based transportation fuels with their renewable counterparts, e.g. ethanol and butanol, while not affecting food production. Lignocellulosic materials such as wood and straw can be used for the production of these biofuels. However, it has been a challenge to develop economically feasible processes for their production.
In this project high gravity production of ethanol is developed and compared to the production of butanol using bacteria and yeast. Specifically the project aims at: 1) advancing the technology for production of 2nd generation liquid biofuels at very high gravity; 2) expanding the knowledge-base on yeast and bacterial growth and physiology under industrially relevant conditions, and 3) using life cycle assessment (LCA) as a tool to evaluate (i) yeast based ethanol production under high gravity conditions and (ii) to assess research steps necessary to make butanol conceivable as a biofuel.
Using LCA in the early stages of technology development, in conjunction with process simulation, can improve guidance of this development.
Professor vid Industriell Bioteknik
Senior forskare vid Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Miljösystemanalys
Professor vid Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Miljösystemanalys
Fredericia, Denmark
Köbenhavn, Denmark
Örnsköldsvik, Sweden
Stavanger, Norway
Finansierar Chalmers deltagande under 2010–2015
Drivkrafter
Styrkeområden