Major Step Taken in Cellulosic Ethanol Production in Bulgaria

Clariant, a specialty chemicals company focused on sustainability and innovation, and Eta Bio, a subsidiary of Pavlovi, a leading company in Bulgaria's agriculture sector, have announced the signing of a license agreement for sunliquid® cellulosic ethanol technology.

Eta Bio was recently established to build, operate and run a full-scale commercial facility for producing cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues. According to Clariant, the announcement of the fourth license agreement maintains momentum for the innovative and sustainable sunliquid® technology and represents another significant step toward commercialization. Hans Bohnen, Chief Operating Officer at Clariant, says: "Our sunliquid® technology is setting the trend in developing sustainable and advanced biofuels. Continued success strongly demonstrates that our technology meets market demand for sustainable solutions and provides us with a competitive advantage."

Christian Librera, Head of Biofuels and Derivatives Business Unit at Clariant, adds: "Following license agreements signed with first-generation ethanol producers and mineral oil players, we are excited to gain a foothold in another important customer segment—the agriculture sector—with our sunliquid® technology."

Eta Bio will execute project development and facility operations on existing land and infrastructure owned by the Pavlovi family in a greenfield location in General Toshevo in Bulgaria's northeastern region. Annual production capacity is planned at 50,000 tonnes of cellulosic ethanol, processing 250,000 tonnes of wheat straw annually, which is abundant in the region also known as Bulgaria's grain belt. Kiril Pavlov, CEO of Eta Bio, states: "Realizing Bulgaria's first cellulosic ethanol production project will help address one of the main challenges facing agricultural producers in the region—clearing straw from fields. This project will give us the opportunity to generate additional revenue streams from agricultural residues." By using locally sourced raw materials, greenhouse gas savings can be maximized and additional business opportunities will emerge across the entire value chain.

Hristo Pavlov, who manages the group's agricultural operations, emphasizes: "We are excited to enter the renewable energy sector with this project and thereby become pioneers in Bulgaria's advanced biofuels market. This initiative will allow us to further diversify our business portfolio and strengthen our position in the agriculture sector."

For Bulgaria, this represents a significant investment in green and sustainable technologies. The cellulosic ethanol produced will be used as a gasoline additive to fulfill the country's blending obligation for advanced biofuels as specified in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II. The project comprises licensing of the sunliquid® basic engineering package, provision of technical services, and supply of starter cultures from Clariant's proprietary enzyme and yeast platform to enable Eta Bio to convert its raw material into cellulosic ethanol.