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Shell and advanced biofuels
For the future we are developing advanced biofuels from new sources using advanced conversion processes. These processes can potentially produce more efficient fuels with lower CO2 emissions and fuels that can be blended with in higher proportions with petrol and diesel.
Shell was one of the first energy companies to invest in advanced biofuels from non-edible plants and crop waste. We continue to invest in a range of projects and have our own research teams in the UK, the USA, the Netherlands and India.
We also partner with leading biotechnology companies and academic institutions as part of our work to develop advanced biofuels.
Iogen Energy
Since 2002, Shell and Iogen Corporation have collaborated via a joint venture company called Iogen Energy to develop the processing technology that enables ethanol to be made from agricultural residue, such as straw and corn using enzymes.
In April 2012 both shareholders agreed to a new plan to refocus the strategy and activities of Iogen Energy. This refocusing led to a reduction in the development programme at Iogen Energy and Shell has decided not to pursue the project to build a larger scale facility that had been considered for southern Manitoba, Canada.
Iogen Energy will continue to pursue activity to progress cellulosic ethanol, though the exact plans are still being developed.
Codexis
Our research programme with Codexis in the USA develops natural enzymes into “super enzymes” which are quicker at converting biomass to ethanol, as well as directly into components similar to petrol and diesel fuel. Codexis also works closely with Shell and Iogen Energy to help make their conversion process more efficient.
Virent
Converting sugar cane directly into petrol.
We have a joint technology development programme with US company Virent to directly convert plant sugars and non-edible biomass into a range of high performance liquid transport fuels. We produce mainly biogasoline, but have also started research into producing jet fuel and diesel using this approach.
In the traditional process to make fuel from biomass sugars are fermented into ethanol then and distilled. Virent’s technology uses catalysts to convert plant sugars into hydrocarbon molecules with the same properties as conventional petrol and diesel. The fuels can be delivered using existing infrastructure.
Licensing this technology from Virent, in 2012 we completed a demonstration plant at our Westhollow Technology Centre in Houston, USA.
