VATIS UPDATE Article

Researchers led by James Dumesic, from University of Wisconsin–Madison, the United States, have developed a new process for obtaining not one, but three high-value products from biomass. Their new process tripled the fraction of biomass converted to high-value products to nearly 80 percent, also tripling the expected rate of return for an investment in the technology from roughly 10 percent (for one end product) to 30 percent. The researchers have published their results in the journal Science Advances.

“When a technology is new and risky, proving its economic feasibility and profit potential is critical for attracting investors. That’s why we are very excited about its 30-percent internal rate of return,” said David Martin Alonso, at UW–Madison. The magic key for turning all three components – cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin – of lignocellulosic (non-edible) biomass into distinct high-value products is gamma valerolactone (GVL), a solvent that is derived from plant material and has several highly appealing properties.

“GVL is very effective at fractionating the biomass. But it is also much more stable than other solvents, allowing us to reuse 99 percent of it in a closed-loop process. Until now, solvent loss had been a major bottleneck for making a renewable and carbon-efficient bio-refinery economically feasible,” said Alonso. It also explains why the new technology is so “green.” It starts with renewable biomass, has a very high solvent-recycling rate, needs miniscule amounts of acid, and uses all three fractions of biomass, minimizing waste.