Abengoa vs Enerkem: Who's the Best?

August 20, 2011 |

Background: This is a second round, International Regional match-up between #6 seed Enerkem and #14 seed Abengoa Bioenergy, in the 2011 Transformative Technologies tourney, from Biofuels Digest.

Voting: Open to all Biofuels Digest subscribers. Voting links are in the Biofuels Digest daily newsletter. To subscribe (free), visit here.

The winner gets: Most votes advances to the Sweet Sixteen (round of 16), and a shot at the Biofuels Elite Eight.

The loser: Goes home.

Laurels: Enerkem is the 16th ranked company in the 2010-11 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy poll. Abengoa Bioenergy is currently ranked #20.

The match-up: Two major international played in cellulosic ethanol. Enerkem took 51 percent of the votes in its first round battle with Syngenta. Abengoa easily prevailed over Raizen in a major upset, by 56-44.

Abengoa uses traditional fermentation of cereal grains and sugar cane for the commercial production of bioethanol; traditional transesterification for the production of biodiesel from cereal and vegetable oils; and multiple technology options for the commercial demonstration of cellulosic fuel production.

Enerkem is pioneering a new line of chemicals and fuels made from garbage instead of oil or other fossil fuels. Enerkem’s cost-effective conversion technology transforms waste – such as unrecyclable household garbage, demolition debris and used utility poles – into chemical-grade synthesis gas (syngas), which is used to create advanced ethanol, acetates and other useful clean chemicals. The company currently operates two facilities in Quebec and, in 2010, began construction of a municipal waste-to-biofuels plant in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2011, the company expects to break ground on a similar facility in Pontotoc, Mississippi for which it is receiving financial support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Energy (DOE).


Category: Fuels

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