Abengoa Bioenergy: Biofuels Digest’s 2014 5-Minute Guide

Company description

a. Traditional fermentation of cereal grains and sugar cane for the commercial production of bioethanol

b. Traditional transesterification for the production of biodiesel from cereal and vegetable oils.

c. Multiple technology options for the commercial demonstration of cellulosic fuel production.

Rankings

50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy: #13, 2013-14

The Situation

Abengoa has identified the U.S. market as “the most important market for the company,” according to chief executive Manuel Sanchez Ortega. “Today it represents the top geography in terms of revenues. One-third of our business is in the U.S.” The company, which recently listed itself on the NASDAQ marketplace, is currently due onstream at its Hugoton, Kansas ethanol plant late this year or early 2014.

Abengoa was awarded the 2012 Madrid Excelente Prize for Client Confidence in the Large Corporate Groups category. Awarded by the Madrid region’s ministry of economy and finance, Abengoa was acknowledged for its excellence in client confidence and management. The prestigious Madrid Excelente Prizes recognize innovation, quality and commitment to business excellence.

In September, the company said that it is looking to launch its MSW-to-ethanol technology at commercial scale by processing the entire city waste produced in Seville. The facility will produce 28 million liters of biofuel per year from half a million metric tons of waste. Construction cost for the plant is expected at around

Fuel Type:
Bioethanol, biodiesel.

Major investors.
Parent Company is public (ABG) on the Madrid (SIBE) exchange.

Past milestones:

New Facility start-ups
1. Biodiesel (San Roque, Spain)
2. France ethanol plant (55 MMGPY)
3. Indiana and Illinois grass-roots ethanol facilities (88 MMGPY
4. each)
5. Biomass commercial demonstration facility at BCyL, Spain

Commenced construction:
6. Two 70-MW Cogen facilities at both Brazil facilities
7. 110 MMGPY ethanol facility in Rotterdam

Instituted GHG Inventory system to support Sustainability goal.
8. · EU Parliament approved Renewable Energy and Fuel Quality Directives.
9. Direct Blending of ethanol in Spain

In July 2013, Abengoa inaugurated its demonstration waste-to-biofuels plant, with a capacity to treat 25,000 tons of municipal solid waste from which it will obtain up to 1.5 million liters (400,000 gallons per year) of ethanol.

The demonstration plant, located in Babilafuente (Salamanca, Spain) uses waste-to-biofuels technology developed by Abengoa to produce second-generation biofuels from MSW using a fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis treatment. During the transformation process, the organic matter is treated in various ways to produce organic fiber that is rich in cellulose and hemicellulose, which is subsequently converted into ethanol.

Future milestones:

Completion of cellulosic biorefinery scheduled in Hugoton, KS in early 2014.

Business model:
Owner / Operator

Fuel cost:
Depends on feedstock cost and energy cost.

Competitive edge(s):
Distribution (own marketing company), economies of scale provides
low-cost, quality (only Fuel Ethanol company that is registered to
ISO-9001), locations (three continents), R&D investments.

Distribution, research, marketing or production partnerships or
alliances.

Industrial Partners

• NatureWorks
• Novus International
• Monsanto
• Genencor
• Dyadic

Universities

• Auburn University
• Kansas State University
• University of Concepción
• University of Buenos Aires
• Lund University
• University of Sevilla
• University of Nebraska

Research Centers

• Asociación de Investigación y Cooperación Industrial de Andalucía –
AICIA
• Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y
Tecnologicas – CIEMAT
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory – NREL
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – PNL
• Argonne National Laboratory – ANL
• Instituto Catalysis y Petroquimicos – ICP
• Instituto Tecnologico de Aragon – ITA
• Centro de Investigacion y Desarrollo en Automocion – CIDAUT
• Washington University – St. Louis
• UOP

Stage
Commercial, pilot and demonstration.

Company website