Tom Crotty - Sustainability in Biofuels

Synopsis

Tom Crotty will talk about the history of biofuel development, the challenges that have arisen from 1st generation developments in terms of food competition, and the search for 2nd generation sources. INEOS has first hand experience of this development process, starting with 1st generation biofuels, where the company produced Bio diesel from rapeseed, and then embarking in search of a sustainable 2nd generation technology. The journey into 2nd generation biofuels had researchers investigating all available options, focusing on non-food competing crops such as Camelina.

INEOS Bio technology was formed to manufacture bioethanol. Waste carbon sources are gasified to CO, which is then used to feed bugs who excrete ethanol, which is then distilled. This process has now been commercialised and the first world-scale unit will open in Florida in September of this year, with a second unit planned for the UK. The Florida unit will use agricultural waste and the UK unit will use domestic waste.

INEOS has a vision to license the technology widely to allow the construction of a series of small bio refineries, built close to local sources of waste carbon, which could use domestic waste from an urban environment or agricultural waste in a rural context. The scale is such that in a typical urban environment, a conurbation of 1 million people will produce sufficient waste to feed a unit which will produce sufficient biofuel for a 10% inclusion in the fuel used by that community and, in addition, will generate 30 MW of electricity.

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About the speaker

Tom Crotty is a Director of INEOS with responsibility for Corporate Affairs and Communications and the development of INEOS business in new territories. Following a 20 year career with ICI, he came into INEOS in January 2001 as CEO of INEOS Fluor. He subsequently became CEO of INEOS ChlorVinyls and then INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe.

Tom is currently President of the European Petrochemicals Association (EPCA), Vice President of Plastics Europe, Chairman of Cogent, the UK Sector Skills Council for the Process Industries and sits on the UK's CBI Climate Change Board.