The µ-BioRefinery™ draws its expertise from DalinYebo subsidiary International Furan Technology (Pty) Ltd ("IFT"), who are known for their solid technical expertise in the bio-renewables space. Since the 1970/80s, its engineers, scientists and project professionals have been involved in the biomass-based chemical industry (furfural/sugar, ethanol, pulp & paper, etc.) and in electricity generation from direct combustion. Their experience covers biomass and biomass-processing R&D, production and projects. Therefore, µ-BioRefinery™'s technology knowhow extends beyond optimising/maximising technical aspects:
For years IFT have operated pilot plants, situated at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. IFT didn't only developed new knowhow, but they were also able to verify 'old' theories and observations that were made over the decades by different plant operators.
IFT have developed and commercialised IP.
IFT have received prestigious awards and recognition.
On the one hand IFT have scaled-up processes and managed designs of multi-disciplinary projects.
On the other hand, IFT make use of this know-how to scale-down industrial size processes, by making use of reverse-engineering principles for the µ-BioRefinery™.
The team behind µ-BioRefinery™ is supported by an extensive global network of specialists.
Most importantly, over the 14 years that our team has worked together, we have made mistakes and learnt form them.
Our background and access to DalinYebo's inventions and developments give us the tools for smart implementation of industrial processes to convert bio-resources into energy and chemicals. In the first instance we focus on the Complete Conversion of Carbon to Commercial Chemicals, aka ‘C5’ and energy. C5 infers using all the organic components of agricultural by-products or crops, such as sugars, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin and metabolites derived therefrom to produce chemicals through unit processes that it will invent or apply. Only the remaining residue from such process will be converted to energy (steam/electricity).
µ-BioRefinery™ pursues an IP strategy that draws on DalinYebo's industry knowhow as well as on IFT's technology R&D, which collectively contain a mix of unregistered IP and trade secretes.
µ-BioRefinery™ pursues an IP strategy that integrates proven IP which is obtained via collaboration and/or association contracts with industry leaders.
Our associates have a successful track record (over 40 years) in designing, constructing and operating of plants that produce alcohol and associated products, which are derived from fermentation processes.
Based on their unique knowhow, our consortium partners will assist us in providing a commercial technology package for a unique and integrated furfural-ethanol-electricity process. Further improvements in the economic attractiveness of such a combined process will be achieved by partnering with their exclusive suppliers of advanced yeasts, whereby the requirement for commercial enzymes for the ethanol process can be reduced significantly.
Production processes for these two chemicals are becoming commercially available and should be evaluated when considering a sugar-to-chemicals business.
We have an exclusive arrangement with on of our associates who has over 30 years of (small) sugarcane processing plant design and construction experience, which also includes demonstration plant designs for bagasse scarification plants.