Clariant’s bioethanol plant mechanically complete and set for start-up

Bilfinger Tebodin has successfully delivered engineering, procurement, overall project and construction management services (EPCM) for the Swiss firm Clariant in Romania.

Its first full-scale commercial sunliquid® plant for the production of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues is mechanically complete and is now ready for start-up.

The flagship plant will process 250,000 tonnes of straw to produce 50,000 tonnes of cellulosic ethanol annually, contributing to lowering greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector.

After completing the construction and starting commissioning in October 2021, Bilfinger Tebodin has kept supporting Clariant on its largest project in Romania. Since November 2017, when the EPCM agreement was signed, Bilfinger Tebodin was engaged in engineering, project and construction management of Clariant’s flagship biofuels plant in Podari, Romania.

Jorg Gerritsen, Project manager at Bilfinger Tebodin, said: “Together we achieved state reception and mechanically completed the project. Currently, we are handing the project over to Clariant to further manage the commissioning and start-up stage. This phase is expected to be completed early 2022.”

The biofuel plant has been built on a 10-hectare site by over 900 construction workers at the peak of the workload.

“For Clariant, this was the first investment in Romania. In this context, the establishment of a completely new organizational structure, the search for a suitable site and the complex approval process were the greatest challenges. Bilfinger’s project experience in Romania was crucial for a successful implementation,” added Bernd Hirschberg, project director at Clariant’s business line biofuels & derivatives.

Vasile Macarov, construction manager at Bilfinger Tebodin, added: “The workflow and high health and safety standards were managed by a joint team of Clariant and Bilfinger Tebodin. Due to this precise management, the site achieved over 2 million man-hours without an LTI (lost time incident), which is an exceptional safety record. The close cooperation and partnership of Clariant Romania and Bilfinger Tebodin was the key to the success of the project.”

Source: https://biofuels-news.com/