Air Liquide opens second generation biofuels pilot plant in Germany

In Germany, conducted in partnership with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Air Liquide’s bioliq™ pilot plant aims at demonstrating the feasibility of a process to produce high-quality sulfur-free fuel from residual biomass. These “second generation” biofuels are produced using the inedible part of plants.

For this project, Air Liquide provided key technologies for the pyrolysis of biomass and gas synthesis as well as the oxygen supply needed for the gasification process. Thanks to this process now operating, approximately 7 kg of straw can produce 1 liter of fuel.

These biofuels will be able to contribute to the production of quality fuels, green chemicals, and “Blue” hydrogen (CO2 free hydrogen). They allow a reduction of up to 90% in CO2 emissions compared to fossil fuels. The next step is to optimize the process in order to ramp up production and prepare for future commercialization.