CHEMREC to build world’s first BioDME advanced biofuels plant
The European project BioDME started in September 2008. As part of the project Chemrec with partners will build a second generation biofuels plant in Piteå in northern Sweden. Volvo will by then have the first of 14 DME-fuelled trucks ready and Preem will have built filling stations. This unique project will demonstrate the entire chain from biomass to trucks running on DME. Chemrec will build and operate the plant where DME will be produced by gasification of black liquor, an internal stream in pulp mills.
The consortium agreement between the seven international partners was recently signed and the project approved by EU. The project, with a total estimated cost of €28 million, is co-financed by the partners of the consortium, EU’s Seventh Framework Program (FP7) and the Swedish Energy Agency.
– We are very proud to be part of the BioDME project, says Chemrec CEO Jonas Rudberg. DME from forest residues through black liquor gasification has been proven to be the most energy- and cost efficient amongst the second generation biofuels with excellent environmental performance. Our technology gives the pulp industry globally a possibility to strengthen its profitability remarkably and contribute to the reduction of green house gases.
World leading competences
The project partners, that represent all industrial sectors necessary to introduce a new fuel, contribute world leading competence within their areas of expertise.
DME produced from forest raw material over the Chemrec black liquor gasification route gives a very high land use efficiency, here illustrated by how far a heavy truck can drive on the fuel produced from one hectare