Advanced Biofuels in China: TMO, COFCO, CNOOC New Energy join fast-growing ranks

May 10, 2011 |

TMO joins list of 9 Hot Projects announced in the past 6 months, as China passes US in project development momentum

TMO Renewables announced that it will become the technology partner of two major organizations in China, COFCO and CNOOC New Energy Investment. Under the two separate agreements, TMO will embark on testing programs jointly with each partner to develop the country’s first fully commercial 2g ethanol plants using cassava residue and cassava stalk.

The announcements cap a remarkable series of advances towards the introduction of advanced biofuels in China, including a string of deals landed by New Zealand’s LanzaTech, Celanese, and Green Biologics. It was only last September that Ernst & Young named China “the most attractive country for renewable investment,” after dropping the US back over its continuing policy muddle.

Here is the latest on seven of the other hottest projects in China.

Apr 2011: LanzaTech, LCY partner for chems, biofuels plant construction
Mar 2011: LanzaTech, Baosteel break ground on steel ethanol project
Feb 2011: American Jianye Greentech launches MSW ethanol project in China
Jan 2011: Celanese, Wison partner for syngas-to-ethanol in China
Jan 2011: Chempolis, Henan Yinge JV for new biorefinery in China
Jan 2011: China’s CBEL completes equity investment in Phyco algal biofuels venture
Dec 2010: UK’s Green Biologics signs $15m in China deals to produce biobutanol

More on the TMO – COFCO – CNOOC deals

The Bio-energy and Bio-chemical Division of COFCO, China’s largest diversified products and services supplier in the agribusiness and food industry, has signed an agreement for a joint testing program to manufacture ethanol from cassava residue and cassava stalk. The purpose of the agreement is to finalize a design package for the first fully commercial 2g ethanol plant in China. COFCO already has a first generation cassava ethanol plant with annual capacity of 200,000 tons at Beihai, Guangxi province and will provide residue suitable for 30,000 tons of 2g ethanol, which will be supplemented with cassava stalk.

TMO will also embark on a joint testing program with CNOOC New Energy Investment Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), one of the largest state-owned oil companies, and the largest offshore oil and gas producer in China.  Again focusing on the manufacture of ethanol from cassava residue and cassava stalk, the aim is to develop an integrated 1g and 2g 180,000 ton plant that CNOOC has applied to build in Nanning, Guangxi province.  Set within 60,000 hectares, the site would produce 1.6 million tons of cassava and a similar amount of cassava stalk.

Commenting on the signings, Hamish Curran, CEO of TMO said:  “We began collaborating with both CNOOC and COFCO 18 months ago to provide initial technological verification, and are extremely proud to have been selected as their technology partner. These agreements are a significant development for TMO and the advancement of second generation biofuels from biowaste. Having developed these highly significant relationships, we now look forward to the next phase of our work, engineering bespoke commercial production solutions for both of our partners.  Working in partnership with both organizations will enable us to utilize our technology on an unprecedented scale and create firsts not just for TMO and China, but the industry as a whole.”

Category: Fuels

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