The Swiss company Clariant inaugurated its first sunliquid® factory in Romania, an investment of 140 million euros

By rbj
The Swiss from Clariant inaugurated yesterday the sunliquid® factory from Podari, near Craiova, Dolj county. The production of bioethanol, a fuel made from straw processing, will start in June.
Built in two years, the Podari factory represents an investment of 140 million euros, of this amount, 40 million euros come from European funds.
To provide the necessary raw materials, company officials have already signed contracts with more than 300 local farmers.
“The plant will process about 250,000 tons of straw to produce 50,000 tons of cellulosic ethanol annually. The tanks in which the straw is treated have a capacity of 3,600 cubic meters, each. The temperature at which the straws are treated is a constant one – of 50 degrees, at least in the hydrolysis area “, explained Dragoș Gavriluță, project director of Clariant Romania.
Cellulosic ethanol plays a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. The advanced biofuel produced by the sunliquid® technology process helps to decarbonize the transport sector, offering CO2 savings of up to 120% compared to fossil fuels.
The Podari factory in Dolj County is built on an area of ​​10 hectares. More than 100 employees will work in the factory.
Petrom, the country’s largest oil company, is also planning to build a second-generation biofuel plant using straw from agriculture. According to the first information, the factory will be built in Prahova County.