Global Bioenergies gets German grant to produce renewable gasoline additives

In France, Global Bioenergies announced that its German subsidiary, Global Bioenergies GmbH, secured a EUR400.000 grant from the BMBF (the German federal ministry for research and education) to finance a 14 month-project aimed at producing renewable gasoline additives.

 The Company will first produce ETBE, a molecule obtained by the condensation of ethanol and isobutene, and presently used as a gasoline additive in large volumes (worldwide market: 3.4 million tons per year). Today, ETBE is only half renewable, as the isobutene used to produce it is derived from oil. For the first time ever, 100% renewable ETBE will be produced at laboratory scale, with the collaboration of the Fraunhofer CBP institute: Isobutene produced at Global Bioenergies’ Pomacle pilot plant will be converted into ETBE at the Leuna-based Fraunhofer CBP institute, which will then be shipped to Audi for laboratory testing.

The company will then convert the first batches of bio-isobutene to be produced from the Leuna Demo plant into large enough quantities of renewable isooctane for running preliminary engine testing at Audi.