Sustainable biofuels

Delivering sustainable alternatives

to fossil fuels

A typical bioethanol plant. Mott MacDonald is working

on similar plants in the UK and France.

Mott MacDonald is a global multidisciplinary company with a

strong engineering base. With annual revenue of £1 billion, we
combine the skills of 14,000 staff with a strong presence in We have specific interest and experience in
140 countries. We have in-depth knowledge of all renewable a range of biofuel subjects including:
energy technologies and have developed considerable
experience in providing key services in the biofuels sector • Bioethanol (first and second generation)
through the successful execution of an extensive range of • Biodiesel (first, second and third generation)
projects worldwide. • Downstream products of bioethanol and biodiesel
• Vegetable oil for power generation
The EU defines biofuels as a ‘liquid or gaseous fuel for transport produced • Feedstocks for biofuels
from biomass (organic material)’. At present the most common biofuels are • Sustainability issues
bioethanol, which is made from sugar and starch crops and biodiesel, which
is produced from natural oils and fats. In addition, vegetable oils and other
liquid biomass can also be used as biofuels without modification for power
generation. The production of higher carbon containing alcohols for use as
biofuels such as biobutanol, may be increasingly seen in the future.

Transport biofuel
The rise in demand for transport fuels is a trend set to continue for the
foreseeable future. An increased interest in biofuels for transport has arisen
from the prospect of replacing imported oil with renewable fuels, diversifying
energy resources, providing environmental benefits and the subsidies
available in a wide range of countries. Currently, biofuels are only partially able
to compete with conventional fuels. However, it is believed that technologies
available in the future will allow biofuels to play a bigger role in the transport
fuels market.

First, second and third generation biofuels

First generation biofuels are those produced directly from food crops.
The usefulness of these biofuels is limited as their production affects food
supplies and biodiversity and they offer only limited greenhouse gas emission
savings. For second generation biofuels, the feedstocks are nonfood crops,
such as woody material, grasses and certain types of waste. The aim of
second generation biofuels is to offer a sustainable fuel supply that does
not deplete food resources and has greater environmental benefits. Third
generation biofuels are those produced from algae. Mott MacDonald has a
comprehensive range of experience, having worked on numerous biofuels
projects with a variety of lenders, investors and owners. Our combination
of technical, commercial and environmental specialists facilitates a fully
integrated approach towards analysis, and an extensive resource base allows
us to create dedicated teams tailored to our clients’ requirements.

www.power.mottmac.com
 Services provided
We have a leading track record in biofuels with detailed understanding of
production projects, processing requirements, the analysis of potential feedstocks
and key commercial drivers concerning project developers, lenders and investors.
We are familiar with environmental and permitting issues and our past experience
has covered all the main elements within project development. Our biofuels
services include roles as both owner’s and lender’s engineer, with specific tasks
Jatropha curcas can be grown on marginalised including:
land and is an important potential feedstock
for biodiesel production.
• Feasibility studies/technical studies
• Process modelling
Contact us • Process optimisation
• Conceptual design and specification
UK/Europe • Construction monitoring
Simon Harrison • Due diligence studies (financial, contractual and technical aspects)
t +44 (0)1273 365217 • Environmental permits
e simon.harrison@mottmac.com • Sustainability studies
• Market surveys/studies (feedstock and end use markets)
Africa
Howard Bate Our track record
t +27 (0)11 275 0086 Mott MacDonald’s customers include governments, regulators, insurers and
e howard.bate@mottmac.com law firms as well as both the owners and lenders of biofuel projects. We have
a reputation for quality, experience, expertise and international reach. We have
Gulf region considerable knowledge of biofuel projects and of the renewable energy sector.
Claudio Tassistro Our extensive project and client list lends weight to our reputation. Previous
t +971 (0)2 412 0337 projects include:
e claudio.tassistro@mottmac.co.ae
• Ethanol production, Hungary We carried out a high-level market study on
India subcontinent the use of sweet potatoes and sorghum as a feedstock for ethanol production.
Sadiq Shafiq The study examined the current experience in these feedstocks, the future
t +91 (0)12 0308 2322 potential and the advantages and disadvantages over traditional feedstocks.
e sadiq.shafiq@mottmac-india.com

• Plantation and biodiesel production plant, Philippines Technical

South East Asia due diligence of a Jatropha curcas plantation and biodiesel production plant.
Surasak Phanraungwong This included reviewing the proposed plant propagation technology and the
t +66 2643 8648 production of further downstream products from the biodiesel. Market studies
e surasak.phanraungwong@thaimottmac.com for both the biodiesel and downstream products were undertaken, focusing on
the Chinese market.
USA
Paul Pring • Bioethanol production plant, UK Feasibility study for bioethanol
t +1 781 915 0084 production to be co-located at a UK power plant. Work included conceptual
e paul.pring@mottmacinc.com design, basic mass and heat balances and costing for both the bioethanol
production facility and the associated combined heat and power plant.

• Wheat to bioethanol plant, France Technical due diligence of an

JK/09/09

operating wheat to bioethanol plant. Work included process technology design

review, performance analysis and contractual arrangements review.

• Algae for biodiesel production project, US Lender’s engineer for a

commercial scale algae production facility. A typical project is intended to occupy
an area of around 100 hectares next to a CO2 emitter such as a power plant or
other manufacturing facility and can produce approximately 3000 tonnes per
year of algal oil that can be sold as feedstock to third parties for the production
of biodiesel. Mott MacDonald is undertaking contractual review and providing
www.mottmac.com assistance during contract negotiations, technical and environmental review,
construction and performance review. Post-financial close Mott MacDonald will
be undertaking the construction and operations monitoring on behalf
of the lenders.