Without affecting the ecological balance or the food chain, agricultural waste from wood and other potential energy crops could be converted into ethanol using enzymatic hydrolysis. Second generation biofuels also have strong potential for reducing emissions compared to the fossil fuels that they replace.

 

Abengoa has two production facilities at R&D scale that are world leaders in enzymatic hydrolysis technology. One pilot plant is in York (United States) and has been operational since 2007, while the other 5 Ml pilot plant is in Salamanca (Spain) and has been operational since 2009.

 

They have had invaluable support from the US Department of Energy (DoE), which has contributed $75 million, and from the European Commission in developing our ambitious R&D program in this field.

 

Abengoa is developing a second generation ethanol plant using enzymatic hydrolysis technology on a commercial scale in Kansas (USA) as a result of the knowledge generated by the pilot plants. To date, Abengoa has 7 patent applications in the biofuels field.