US green technology company Anellotech and French partners IFP Energies Nouvelles (IFPEN) and Axens, have completed construction of their integrated biomass-to-aromatics development and testing plant.

The unit, called TCat-8, is now ready to be installed onsite for operation to commence in 2016. The facility will confirm the viability and suitability of the Bio-TCat process for scale-up and generate the data needed to design commercial plants based on the proprietary thermal catalytic conversion process.

The technology uses non-food biomass to produce paraxylene (PX), benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX) for chemical production as well as for high octane, non-oxygenated biofuel blendstocks. Anellotech said commercial-scale applications are expected by 2019.

Jean-Pierre Burzynski, director of IFPEN’s process business unit, said the collaboration with Anellotech offers a unique opportunity to participate in developing an innovative and cost-competitive path to bio-aromatics. “The development of bio-BTX will rely heavily on IFPEN’s expertise in fluid bed technologies scale-up and will provide the industry the key aromatic basic chemicals that are used in significant plastics such as polyester (PET), polystyrene, polyurethane and nylon,” added Burzynski.

As well as carrying out R&D activities in Solaize, France, beginning next year IFPEN will send three, full-time senior engineers and technical experts to Anellotech’s Pearl River, New York, facility for two years to support development efforts. They will conduct advanced modeling and cold-flow hydrodynamic studies to support Bio-TCat reaction engineering and scale-up.

Anellotech announced last month that it had received an investment of $7 million from a major multinational company. A further $3 million is expected to follow within the next few months.