A North East company is looking to tap into the fast expanding biofuels market after developing new technology for drying fuels such as ethanol. 

Zeosol (ZSL), which is based at the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) in Middlesbrough, is looking to become the world’s leading dryer of ethanol and butanol – two key biofuels – thanks to investment of £145,000 from the Three Pillars Fund.

Led by Graham Bratton, ZSL has developed proprietary technology that dries bio-fuels such as ethanol, extracting water in a cost effective and environmentally friendly way.   Zeolites (mircro-porous minerals) separate molecules based on size so only water will pass through a membrane.

ZSL’s application has been re-invented from a process used to extract water from solvents and chemicals pioneered in the early 1990s. It is significantly more effective than existing technologies with energy savings of at least 3p a litre. It also creates no disposal problem as the water produced as a bi-product is of the highest purity and can be re-used by the semi-conductor industry.

A pilot plant will soon be built at the CPI with funding from the Three Pillars Fund to fine tune the technology before it is taken to market.

Graham said: “The technology was initially used in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries but biofuels – and ethanol in particular – are ideally suited. We’ve spent three years re-inventing, enhancing, proving and refining the technology and the end result is a cost-effective, green application.

“There’s a growing demand for blending ethanol into biofuels. The removal of water is vitally important as you need the ethanol to be 99.8 per cent pure. Traditional processes for doing this are more difficult and expensive, which is why our technology can be so important.”

The technology is now ready to take to market with ZSL expecting to build plants for clients capable of drying 25,000 tonnes and 100,000 tonnes each year. Customers are expected to be grain growers, fermenters and blenders of biofuels.

Graham, who previously worked for British Petroleum and the Smart Chemical Company where he was involved in the development of the early technology, added: “The biofuels market is growing quickly. In the USA alone it grew from around 25 million gallons in 2004 to 450 million in 2007. We’re looking to build plants for a range of companies in the industry including major multi-nationals around the world and sell the collected water to the semi-conductor industry.

“The funding from the Three Pillars Fund has helped us through a critical stage of the process so we’re now at a stage to start selling to customers.”

Amanda McMurray, Three Pillars Fund manager said: “The removal of water from bio-fuels is fundamental to their use as a source of energy. With the demand for new, cleaner and alternative sources power growing around the world, this is an expanding market with great potential.

“ZSL’s technology is an exciting new application that will be in strong demand with major companies around the world looking to use it as a cheaper and more effective means of drying.”        

The Three Pillars Fund invests in early stage companies in the energy, health and process industries sectors. Backed by money from One North East, the fund invests in businesses at their earliest, most high-risk stages to position them to achieve commercial success.

For more information about the Three Pillars Fund please contact Dr Amanda McMurray on 0191 211 2324 or email: amanda.mcmurray@northeastfinance.org

ENDS

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