Green Energy to Sustainability: Strategies for Global Industries

11Clostridia and Process Engineering for Energy Generation*

Adriano P. Mariano¹, Danilo S. Braz¹, Henrique C. A. Venturelli¹, and Nasib Qureshi²

¹University of Campinas (UNICAMP), School of Chemical Engineering, Campinas, SP, 13083‐852, Brazil

²United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Bioenergy Research Unit, Peoria, IL, 61604, USA

CHAPTER MENU

• Introduction
• Recent Technological Advances
• Economic Modelling and Case Study
• Perspectives
• Acknowledgements
• References

11.1 Introduction

From a genus of gram‐positive anaerobic bacteria, several non‐pathogenic Clostridium species are able to produce n‐butanol (hereafter referred to as butanol). This four‐carbon alcohol has been drawing attention due to its superior fuel properties and its share of the chemicals market of approximately 4 million tons a year or approximately 6 billion dollars. As an automotive fuel, blends of butanol with gasoline offer better engine performance and reduction of emissions when compared to ethanol‐gasoline blends (Trindade and Santos 2017). Its drop‐in characteristics, or similar chemical structure to alkane hydrocarbons, make butanol more compatible with existing fuel distribution infrastructure (pipelines and gas stations) and car engines. In countries such as the US, where the existing infrastructure is limiting the growth of the domestic ethanol market (the so‐called ‘blending wall’), the introduction of drop‐in ...