Clariant finishes construction of cellulosic ethanol plant in Romania

Switzerland-based specialty chemicals company Clariant announced that it has completed the construction of a cellulosic ethanol plant in the southern Romanian county of Dolj. “The flagship plant will process approximately 250 000 tons of straw to produce nearly 50 000 tons of cellulosic ethanol annually,” the company said.

The investment also brings substantial economic benefits to the region and by locally sourcing feedstock, greenhouse gas emission reduction can be maximized. Also, additional business opportunities will arise along the regional value chain, Clariant said. Co-products produced by the process will be used to generate renewable energy, making the plant independent of fossil energy sources. Therefore, the resulting cellulosic ethanol is an almost carbon neutral second generation biofuel. Besides application as a drop-in solution for fuel blending, this offers further downstream application opportunities into bio-based chemicals and for sustainable aviation fuel.