Boost for bio-based isobutene plant

Global Bioenergies, IBN-One, Cristal Union and L’Oréal have launched a 44-month industrial and commercial project focused on the first bio-isobutene plant. The project is funded with €9m by the French Investissements d’Avenir programme. This funding is made up of repayable advances in the event of success, and will be paid out in several tranches, with an initial tranche of 15 percent. Global Bioenergies, the project coordinator, will mainly be responsible for completing the industrial development of the process, and may receive up to €5.7m. IBN-One may receive €3.3 million, which will mainly be dedicated to life cycle analyses, engineering design work in the plant, and the market value validation of derivatives intended for the fuels (gasoline and kerosene), materials and cosmetics.

Isobutene is a platform molecule that can be converted into gasoline, rubber, various materials, and which is also used in various applications by the chemical and cosmetics industries. Since 2008, Global Bioenergies has been developing a process to produce isobutene from renewable resources. 

The newly launched project will involve Cristal Union, which will provide a supply of sugar beets for the plant and prepare the integration of the future production unit into one of its sites. L’Oréal will test batches of compounds derived from bio-sourced isobutene, with a view to becoming an IBN-One client once the plant operational.