Advanced Bioethanol
Advanced bioethanol production at small and medium scale from agricultural residues is an alternative for agricultural communities to increase their energy self-sufficiency, improve local economics and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse emissions
Nerixis Project
Nerixis is an interdisciplinary project whose objective is to develop technology for the small and medium-scale production of advanced (lignocellulosic) biofuels such as bioethanol, biobutanol and biohydrogen using as feedstock agricultural residues commonly found in México (i.e. straws, corn residues and bagasse). These technologies depart from their conventional large-scale counterparts by operating continuously and in mostly automatic mode, with high efficiencies, low water consumption and almost zero-GHG emissions.
The target users are Mexican rural communities with small and medium-scale availability of agricultural residues.
Nerixis was initiated in 2008 at the Advanced Engineering Unit of Cinvestav, Guadalajara, México, under the supervision of Dr. Arturo Sanchez Carmona. The project is divided into four stages.
First Stage
2008 - 2010
In this stage, key biorefining technologies at a laboratory scale were studied and experimentally validated. These technologies were included in conceptual designs of biochemical platform biorefineries considering the Mexican agricultural sector for producing advanced biofuels (bioethanol, biobutanol and biohydrogen) from local agricultural residues. Feasible capacities and operating costs were calculated using a technoeconomic analysis guaranteeing their competitiveness in the Mexican market.
Second Stage
2011 - 2014
This stage embraced the development of “proof-of-concept” processes of all strategic production stages (pretreatment, saccharification and fermentation) at 1kg dry basis (DB) scale in continuous mode. The experimental results were employed in biorefinery conceptual designs using these “proof-of-concept” processes and carbon dioxide capture to co-produce bioethanol, biobutanol, biohydrogen and food grade carbon dioxide. Sustainability analyses of the proposed conceptual designs were conducted validating their feasibility from economic and environmental viewpoints.
Third Stage
2015 - 2019
The third stage of the Nerixis Project became the Cluster of Lignocellulosic Biofuels for the Autotransport Sector. This Cluster was part of the Mexican Innovation Centre in Bioenergy.
The biorefining technologies investigated in stages 1 and 2 were scaled up to produce bioethanol, biobutanol and biohydrogen with competitive production costs. The pretreatment capacity was scaled up to one ton of biomass dry basis (DB) per day. The bioethanol production capacity was 50 litres per day. The environmental and economic sustainability of the proposed biorefining technologies were analysed and technology transfer mechanisms were established.
The mini-biorefinery was selected to participate in the technology acceleration program “Leaders of Innovation 2019” of the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK.
The Cluster was considered by the Mexican Secretary of Energy as a key stakeholder in the Bioethanol Technology Roadmap of Mexico for pushing forward the production of lignocellulosic bioethanol.
Links:
Fourth Stage
2024 - 2028
After the Covid pandemic interval and a sabbatical period at the Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Group of the Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the Czech Academy of Sciences, activities were resumed in the engineering front to come up with the mini-biorefinery basic engineering.
We are currently seeking funding to take forward the mini-biorefinery technology and build a demonstration plant with a capacity of 2,500 litres of lignocellulosic bioethanol per day (i.e., 10 ton of agricultural residue dry basis (DB) per day).
Links: