Odebrecht’s Morro Vermelho Agroindustrial plant produces more than 80,000 litres of ethanol annually from sugar cane biomass.
VTT ESTABLISHED A RESEARCH CENTRE OF ITS OWN IN SÃO PAULO TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE BRAZILIAN MARKET EXPERTISE AND KNOW-HOW.
CELLULOSIC ETHANOL OPENS MANY DOORS VTT BRASIL Ltda began its operation almost three years
complex one that continues to demand several stages and the consumption of large amounts of energy and chemicals. Odebrecht − one of the top names in bio ethanol production − is due under its threeyear project to build a demonstration plant refining cellulosic ethanol. The company selected VTT as one of its partners on the strength of its experience in using biomass for fuel production. – VTT brings valuable research competence to the project. So far, no single solution has proved better than any other, so various technologies will probably live side by side for some time, says Frederico Ramazzini Braga, who manages innovation activities at Odebrecht Agroindustrial. The stages in second-generation biomass refining include pretreatment and hydrolysis. Braga says that for its technology choice Odebrecht is leaning towards a biochemical treatment process. The other alternative would have been thermochemical treatment. – VTT’s strong competencies in hydrolysis and C5 fermentation show clearly in the joint venture, he points out.
ago in São Paulo. The research centre currently has 13 employees, with around half focusing on cellulosic ethanol cooperation with Odebrecht Agroindustrial. Matti Siika-aho, Principal Scientist, and Nilson Boeta, CEO of VTT Brasil, both describe biofuels and bioenergy as VTT’s spearhead project in Brazil, but point to several other plans under development. The biomass refining technologies developed for the energy sector can be extensively exploited in the future in different industrial sectors. – VTT has a lot to offer, for example to the cellulose and paper industry. Our technologies can be used to develop cellulose into high added-value products. One example is a special fibre refined from the eucalyptus tree which has high absorbency, making it an ideal material for babies’ nappies. This R&D makes use of nanotechnology, for example, says Boeta. – We are currently exploring cooperation opportunities with the forestry and chemical industries. The Brazilian gold mining sector also offers interesting prospects. Siika-aho is satisfied that VTT Brasil has succeeded in recruiting doctoral-level experts, fluent in both Portuguese and English. That such people could be found was not self-evident. – Our researchers need to prove their worth in the Odebrecht project. Apart from achieving a successful outcome in the project, we are also expected within three years to perfect the relevant methods and know-how to a level that allows their continued use in diversified research, says Siika-aho, giving his vision of the future. VTT Impulse 15