Greener alternatives from biorefining

Our Mackay Pilot Plant is pioneering research and innovation in biorefining. By turning agricultural biomass into cleaner bioproducts, we’re supporting an increased uptake of renewable processes and creating a more profitable and sustainable agriculture sector.

Our researchers are creating biofuels, green chemicals and other bioproducts using biomass feedstocks such as sugarcane bagasse, trash and molasses, as well as and other agricultural products like cotton, grains and horticultural wastes. We’re developing the innovative and clean products and processes integral to a greener future.

Working on-site with industry

Our Mackay Pilot Plant is pioneering research and innovation in biorefining. By turning agricultural carbon sources such as sugars and biomass into cleaner bioproducts, we’re supporting an increased uptake of renewable processes and creating a more profitable and sustainable agriculture sector.

Our researchers are creating future foods, biofuels, green chemicals and other bioproducts using sugarcane based feedstocks, as well as and other agricultural products like cotton, grains and horticultural wastes. We’re developing the innovative and clean products and processes integral to a greener future.

Finding a sustainable future

The Mackay Pilot Plant is part of our Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy - a research centre dedicated to developing a sustainable future through biotechnology and bioproducts.

We make the most of this expertise, in combination with the Pilot Plant's unique infrastructure, to build capacity in renewable production.

Equipment

MRBPP equipment may be grouped into two broad categories:

  • Pre-treatment and thermochemical transformation
  • PC2 large scale precision fermentation and downstream processing (food grade)

Pre-treatment and thermochemical transformation

EquipmentFeatures

Horizontal reactor – pre-hydrolysis process

Materials are mixed with chemicals and steam to break them up and make them easier to digest.  The crystallinity of cellulose is reduced, and the porosity is increased in the process.

  • 145L pre-hydrolysis chamber working volume for pre-hydrolysis processing
  • Equipped with integrated washing capacity to handle about 22kg of fibre per batch, depending on bulk density of materials

Up to 4 batches per day capacity

Vertical reactor – steam explosion

In this reactor, materials are pressurised up to 24barG temperature up to 220oC) in the reactor by steam and flashed into a blow-down tank at atmospheric pressure by opening a fast-acting blow valve.

This elevated temperature and fast decompression process can cause bursting of cellular tissue and weaken the links between fibrous components.

  • 69L vertical high-pressure reactor designed and built specifically for steam explosion processes

Up to 50 litres of material per batch

Cutting mill Retsch SM300

Dried materials are cut and grinded down through mechanical shredding processes to reduce the particle size.  It is specially designed for the grinding of soft, medium-hard, tough, elastic, fibrous, and heterogeneous mixes of products.

  • Up to 5 litres of material per batch
  • Cutting screen size from 6.0mm to 0.25mm
  • Variable speed from 100 to 3,000 min-1

Chipper/mulcher

This garden shredder / chipper / mulcher reduces the size of biomass feedstocks.  Biomass can include, and is not limited to, sugarcane, bagasse, trash, corn stover, wood chip and  energy grasses.

  • Deluxe 13 HP heavy duty tow behind shredder chipper

A 3.5" (89mm) chipping capacity in the side chipper hopper and 25mm shredding capacity in the top big hopper for easy feeding of bushy branches with less preparation

REACH pilot plant

REnewable Acid-hydrolysis Condensation and Hydrotreating

Thermochemical transformation converts biomass and waste feedstock into biocrude oil, syngas, solid residue and aqueous products in moderate to high temperature oxygen deficient environments to obtain high yielding energy conversions.

  • Continuous processing equipment
  • Design = 100 kg/day bagasse
  • (<2mm and 20-40% moisture)
  • Organic solvent and concentrated acid catalyst
  • Products = chloromethylfurfural (CMF), hydroxymethyfurfural (HMF), furfural, levulinic acid
  • Acid digestion (32-40% HCl at up to 70 °C)
  • Hydrolysis (70 °C and up to 12 bar)
  • Separation and distillation for concentrating product and recovering solvent and catalyst

Continuous hydrotreater reactor system

High pressure H2 used to deoxygenate biocrude oil to produce hydrocarbon fuels

  • 2 x 1 L reactor – solid catalysts
  • Up to 350 °C and 100 bar pressure
  • 2-40 mL/min feed rate

QUT Banyo site located in Brisbane has additional thermochemical processing equipment including pyrolysis, antisolvent fractionation and supercritical fluid extraction to enable a wide variety of bioprocessing outcomes.

Professor Mike O'Shea
Position
Research Engagement Leader
Division / Faculty
Research Portfolio
Email
Dr Jo Blinco
Position
Manager, Biorefining Research Facility
Division / Faculty
Research Portfolio
Research field
Electrical engineering
Email
Dr Heng-Ho Wong
Position
Principal Technologist (Biorefining)
Division / Faculty
Research Portfolio
Email

Page 1 of 1

More information

Find out more about the great work being done at the Mackay Pilot Plant.