2gBLUE - Second Generation Bioethanol Production from Marine Filter Feeders

Project team: Paul Christakopoulos (project leader), Anthi Karnaouri, Katerina Hruzova, Christos Nitsos, Leonidas Matsakas, Ulrika Rova

Partners: Marin Biogas

Duration: 2017-2019

Funded by the Swedish Energy Agency

The Scandinavian native tunicate species Ciona intestinalis is a very common and fast growing marine invertebrate animal with cellulose content of up to 60% in the outer part – the tunic. The tunic, which also contains ~25 % nitrogen-containing components by dry weight, is an industrial waste stream that remains after the inned part is used for feed applications and can be utilized for ethanol production. With an available amount of 560 000 tons (dry weight) at full production in Sweden, Ciona cellulose could potentially cover the 50% of annual ethanol demand in the country. In this project we will develop a process that integrates the most relevant achievements in the field of organosolv pretreatment, enzymatic decomposition and fermentation for efficient ethanol production.