The alternative to fossil products: Ethyl acetate produced from renewable ethanol
Solvent for numerous applications
Our mission is to provide our customers with innovative, sustainable products made from biomass. Because in order to counteract climate change, fossil raw materials must be replaced. CropEnergies is taking the next step here: sustainable ethyl acetate (acetic ester) is to be produced from renewable ethanol. Ethyl acetate is a solvent and is widely used in the production of cosmetics, flexible packaging and coatings, paints and adhesives, as well as in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.
Production process is almost 100% carbon neutral
CropEnergies stands for greenhouse gas savings at all product and production levels. The new business area of biobased chemicals is also in line with this: The planned production process is almost 100% carbon neutral while delivering ethyl acetate of the highest quality. The product offers customers an excellent opportunity to grow with the sustainability trend by significantly reducing their carbon footprint through the use of CropEnergies' ethyl acetate. At the same time, customers benefit from the security of supply and short supply routes of a European production.
Valuable co-product
The envisaged plant, which produces sustainable ethyl acetate from ethanol and renewable energies, also produces a valuable co-product: green hydrogen. Together with biogenic CO2 from the fermentation of CropEnergies ethanol production, this can form the basis for renewable energies from PtX (Power-to-X) processes, e.g. for the production of e-fuels.
With Johnson Matthey Technology
So far, CropEnergies and Johnson Matthey have concluded an engineering, license and technical services agreement. When the process design package is finalised in mid-2022, CropEnergies will make a final decision on the investment of about EUR 80 to EUR 100 million. The plant would be designed for 50,000 tonnes of ethyl acetate per year and would be built near CropEnergies' site in Zeitz.
Johnson Matthey (London) is a global leader in sustainable technologies that enable a cleaner and healthier world.