PureVision Teams Up with Budi Biofuels to
Develop Cellulosic Biorefining Technology
June
19, 2008
San Diego, CA: PureVision Technology, Inc., a leader in developing biorefining technologies, signed an agreement today with Budi Biofuels Sdn. Bhd to advance biomass utilization in Malaysia using patented PureVision fractionation technology. Budi Biofuels is a Malaysian-based oil company and PureVision is a Colorado-based technology development company. The fully executed agreement puts into action a Phase I program whereby PureVision will convert underutilized biomass from Malaysia into value-added products.
The current focus of the Budi—PureVision collaboration targets the conversion of empty fruit bunches into biofuels. As part of the oil production process, palm oil is extracted from the palm tree fruit known as a kernel. Empty fruit bunches (or “EFB”) are the biomass residue left after the palm oil is extracted from the palm kernels. Once most of the oil is obtained from processing the palm oil fruit, the EFB residues are treated as agriculture waste or boiler fuel. PureVision will employ its proprietary technology to fractionate EFB residues into different product streams, including high purity cellulose or pulp, fermentation sugars and oligophenols to make biofuels and other industrial chemicals.
“It is all about collaboration and stepping up our cooperation with others,” said Malaysian BiotechCorp Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, in San Diego, making the announcement at the 2008 BIO International Convention. Malaysia’s BiotechCorp has been instrumental in promoting the PureVision and Budi collaboration. Datku Mahmood announced the signing of this and other important agreements on biotechnology projects involving cooperation with companies from around the world.
Budi Biofuels traces its roots to Budi Oil Holdings Sdn. Bhd, a trading company in palm oil sludge. Budi recently expanded its business scope to include remediation of agriculture wastes and development of cellulosic bioethanol opportunities. Budi’s search for biorefining technologies to convert palm oil tree residues into higher value products led them to PureVision.
“The PureVision technical team has developed a step-wise program to convert plant residues in Malaysia into higher value products, including biofuels” noted Ed Lehrburger, President of PureVision. “This collaboration with Budi is aimed at advancing an economical, integrated and efficient biorefining process to create bio-based products from underutilized biomass”.
During the targeted six-month, Phase I study, PureVision will focus on converting the EFB biomass into cellulose and glucose. Processing data will be generated utilizing PureVision’s small continuous fractionation reactor. The data will then be used to model and investigate building and operating a commercial-scale biorefinery to produce biofuels and other industrial chemicals from EFB. With a successful Phase I study, a follow-on Phase II scale-up study will commence during 2009. The ultimate goal of the Budi—PureVision collaboration is to develop commercial-scale EFB biorefineries that are co-located next to existing palm oil production plants in Malaysia and other tropical regions of the world.
Dr. Chim Y. Chin, PureVision’s Director of Process Development, will manage the technical development program related to the Malaysian project. “Worldwide palm oil production generates 40 million tons of EFB per year. Other oil palm residues such as fronds and trunks generate an additional 160 million tons of biomass per year. EFB as a biomass source has the advantages of being partially processed, available year round and is generated onsite as a waste stream at oil palm factories”, he said.
Colorado-based PureVision has been developing and scaling up a unique biomass conversion technology since 1999, known as biomass fractionation. PureVision’s carbon-neutral, technology rapidly converts cellulosic biomass into fermentation sugars, lignin derivatives and fiber that are bio-based raw materials for producing a wide range of products including biofuels. This process enables ultimate biorefining flexibility. The company is working with collaborators throughout the world including Canada, Europe, South America and Asia to finance, scale up and commercialize its patented technology.
For more information, contact:
Ed Lehrburger, President & CEO, PureVision Technology, Inc. (303) 857-4530
Download PDF