鈥淲e want to play a greater role in the chemical industry鈥檚 transition from fossil-based to bio-based raw materials. The challenges of the future are not only about replacing fossil fuels, but also about replacing the fossil carbon atoms currently used in plastics, chemicals and other materials,鈥� says Lars Lind, CEO of Adesso Bioproducts AB.
During a study visit by Biogas Solutions Research Center to Stenungsund, he noted that, in the longer term, much of the transport sector could be electrified.
Carbon atoms are still needed
鈥淏ut the chemical industry will continue to need large quantities of carbon atoms to manufacture materials and products. The carbon atoms that are available need to end up in the chemical industry for as long as we need materials and products,鈥� says Lars Lind.
The company works with renewable raw materials for biofuels, heating and chemicals. It has done so since it was founded 17 years ago and operates two production facilities in Scandinavia, one in Stenungsund and one in southern Norway. Together, they produce around 250,000 tonnes of biodiesel a year, mainly from rapeseed. The company is one of Sweden鈥檚 largest biodiesel producers.
Glycerol
One by-product is glycerol. It is already supplied to biogas plants, primarily in Denmark. However, Adesso Bioproducts plans to build a biogas plant next to the chemical industries in Stenungsund.
鈥淭he planned feedstocks include glycerol from our own production, municipal organic waste, manure from farms and residual products from the fishing industry. The plant will be connected directly to the national gas grid, making it possible to sell the gas to different markets.鈥�
The project has been under development for five years and is still in the permitting and development phase. Among other things, the company is working on environmental assessments and issues relating to natural values at the proposed site
鈥淭he aim is to supply bio-based carbon atoms to the chemical cluster in Stenungsund and thereby reduce the chemical industry鈥檚 dependence on fossil-based raw materials in the future,鈥� says Lars Lind.
Bio-based materials
The plan also includes building a facility to produce bioethylene, a bio-based form of ethylene, one of the most important building blocks in the plastics and chemical industries. Global ethylene production amounts to several hundred million tonnes a year and is currently almost entirely fossil-based.
鈥淭he planned facility will use ethanol as its raw material. The ethanol could come from suppliers in Europe as well as from other parts of the world. In the longer term, the ambition is to use more advanced and sustainable raw materials,鈥� says Lars Lind.
