2nd BABET-REAL5 workshop
New Technology and Strategy for a Large and Sustainable Deployment of 2G Biofuel in Rural Areas
27 June 2019 in Las Brujas, Uruguay
Participants of the 2nd BABET-REAL5 workshop following the programme
Workshop Background
The project BABETREAL involves 16 members from 8 countries and is funded by the European Union (H2020). The aim is to develop an alternative solution for the production of second generation ethanol based on smaller industrial scale. One of the partners is the National Institute for Agricultural Research in Uruguay (INIA). And Uruguay participate also as a case study of the project, analyzing wood material from Eucalyptus as lignocellulosic biomass.
Summary
The 2nd BABET-REAL5 workshop took place in Uruguay, and was organized by the National Institute for Agricultural Research in Uruguay (INIA) on 27th June in INIA Las Brujas (near Montevideo) and simultaneously in INIA Tacuarembó (by video conference) and was attended by 77 participants.
The first part of the workshop included 8 presentations about general aspects of the project, technical advances, the case study for Uruguay on viability and supply of biomass, biomethane use in Brazil, CO2 use in Uruguay and other alternatives beyond bioethanol:
Presentation of the Project BABET-REAL5 – Julio Valles.
Presentation
Project coordinator Julio Valles (INPT) attended the workshop from France via video conference
Economical analysis of a pilot plant – Julio Valles.
Presentation
Results of BABET-REAL5 for Uruguay: Biomass availability and costs –Fernando Resquin.
Presentation
Fernando Resquin (INIA) at the 2nd BABET-REAL5 workshop
Results of BABET-REAL5 for Uruguay: case study North region – Cecilia Rachid.
Presentation
Cecilia Rachid presenting at the 2nd BABET-REAL5 workshop
Results of BABET-REAL5 for Argentina: a summary - Jorge Hilbert.
Presentation
Biomethane as vehicular fuel in Brazil - Marcela Rezende.
Presentation
Ethanol and other biorefinery products from Eucalyptus biomass in Uruguay – Daniel Ferrari.
Presentation
CO2 uses in Uruguay - Fiorella Montesdeoca.
During the whole-day event, which had a broad participation of technicians and students, the BABET-REAL5 project was presented and discussed with many details about it, where the National Institute for Agricultural Research participates as the Uruguayan counterpart. The concept to develop technologies for a smaller industrial scale than the plants developed for first generation biofuels, has aroused much interest. Also, the intended use of the extruder for a continuous production flow took the attention of the audience.
Within the advances presented by the project, the results achieved at a global level were known, focusing on Uruguay, the only case in the consortium, that use wood as biomass. On the other hand, Abiogas of Brazil shared its experience in relation to the production of biomethane for vehicular use. This country has an increasing development on this matter and include the deployment of pipelines. Considering the process used in BABET-REAL5 and the important amount of biomethane to be produced, Brazil could be an example and also a partner in the near future. The team of the Institute of Chemistry of the Faculty of Engineering gave in their presentation an overview on different technical aspects to take into consideration by the production of ethanol and biorefineries using woody biomasses, speaking about the pros and contras of such concepts.
Because the process used in BABET-REAL5 generates CO2, one of the most important companies of the Region, Praxair/Linde, was contacted to present the alternatives for the use of CO2 in Uruguay. The researchers of INIA involved in the project, collected a lot of questions and additional information to be included in the last analysis to fulfill the project milestones.
Panel discussion after the presentations
At the end of the seminar, there was a closing panel composed of the president of ANCAP (The National Agency for Fuel, Alcohol and Cement), the vice minister of MIEM (Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining) and the General Director of the National Forest Service of the MGAP (Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fishery). The authorities agreed that biofuels are a topic that represents great challenges and opportunities for Uruguay and that involves several actors at different levels; for example, of the forestry value chain. The role played by INIA in the research of this issue and the importance of generating more local knowledge in relation to the subject was assessed. In the same way it was appreciated a lot that BABET-REAL5 takes into account as good as possible a realistic implementation.
After the open seminar, INIA asked the USAB Members and a few referents to discuss in an internal meeting the possible ways and prices to commercialize CO2, Biomethane and Bioetanol, that will be inputs for the final evaluation of a commercial-scale prototype plant. In general, the absence of an active and diversified markets for those products, restricts to use “theoretical values”. For CO2 it was possible to get a more realistic value. For Bioethanol, in Uruguay it depends on ANCAP. The case of biomethane was more complicated and the recommendations were to find an internal use in the industrial process.
A survey of the workshop quality revealed that approximately 50% of the audience found it “good” and the other 50% “very good”.
Participants from INIA Tacuarembo following via video conference