Global Bioenergies obtains €400,000 grant to produce renewable petrol additives

Global Bioenergies has secured a €400,000 grant from the German federal ministry for research and education (BMBF) to finance a 14-month project aimed at producing renewable petrol additives.

The company will first produce ETBE, a molecule obtained by the condensation of ethanol and isobutene, and presently used as a petrol additive in large volumes with a worldwide market of 3.4 million tonnes per year.

Currently ETBE is only half-renewable, as the isobutene used to produce it is derived from oil, but now 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.

Reiner Mangold, head of sustainable product development at Audi, said: “The samples received last year from Global Bioenergies are now validated analytically. We are eager to receive larger batches to run preliminary engine testing.”