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Lignol announces biorefining technology breakthrough

Lignol Energy Corp. recently announced successful operation of a significant process modification to its process for producing cellulosic ethanol and lignin co-products. A Lignol subsidiary, Lignol Innovations, has developed process innovations that represent a breakthrough in organosolv pre-treatment performance, resulting in improved efficiencies and enhanced economics of Lignol’s biorefinery technology platform.

“This technological breakthrough is a tremendous accomplishment by our scientific and engineering teams,” said Ross MacLachlan, president and CEO of Lignol. “AlcellPlus^TM represents a significant improvement in the performance and economics of organosolv biorefining. This is expected to not only enhance the economics of producing cellulosic ethanol but also provide benefits in the yield and quality of our HP-L^TM lignin co-products.”

Since acquiring the original Alcell^TM pre-treatment process, the company has been working on enhancements to improve efficiency and economics. This work has culminated in the development of a significant process modification, which has recently undergone operating campaigns in Lignol’s pilot plant in Burnaby, B.C. The patent pending process, named AlcellPlus^TM, builds on the proven attributes of Lignol’s core process designs while providing the potential for lower capital cost, and reduced operating costs. Lignol also expects that AlcellPlus will provide greater flexibility in processing a wider range of cellulosic feedstocks that may be suitable candidates for biorefining.

Lignol is a Canadian company undertaking the development of biorefining technologies for the production of fuel-grade ethanol and other biochemical co-products from non-food cellulosic biomass feedstocks.