18.05.06
DONG Energy wants to help develop the biofuels of the future
Together with other Danish companies and research centres, DONG Energy is an international leader in the development of new eco-friendly technologies for manufacture of biofuels for the transportation sector. It is therefore very encouraging that the government is planning to invest DKK 200 million in a new 4-year research and development programme for the so-called second-generation technologies for manufacture of biofuels. These technologies convert straw and waste to bioethanol, which can replace petrol and diesel, presenting new possibilities for cutting CO2 emissions and reducing the transportation sector's dependence on oil.
Elsam, which is part of DONG Energy, already has the capability to produce bioethanol from straw. Elsam's pilot plant is based on a technology whereby waste heat from power stations is used for producing bioethanol. Besides bioethanol, this process results in products that can be used as animal feed and as fuel for CHP production.
DONG Energy is also an investor in Biogasol. Biogasol focuses on a technology developed at Denmark's Technical University (DTU) that converts waste and straw to bioethanol while at the same time producing biogas. Biogasol's technology is still at the experimental stage, but has the potential for cheap production costs for bioethanol. "We are pleased that the government is proposing to accelerate the development of the second-generation technologies. We still need a very major research and development effort to enable us to utilise the extensive potential offered by the new technologies. This calls for collaboration between the companies, the research institutions and the public authorities. The government's move could act as a catalyst for this collaboration, helping to ensure success in our efforts to develop these technologies," says Anders Eldrup, CEO of DONG Energy.
For further information, contact:
Peter Arnfeldt, Vice President, Corporate Communications,
DONG Energy A/S - tel. +45 4517 1550