In BIOENERGY 2020+ research and development on the synthesis of mixed alcohols is done since 2010. Within the past projects a lab-scale plant was built and operated, where about 1 Nm³/h of synthesis gas was processed. The main investigations were research and development on the mixed alcohols synthesis (MAS) itself and on side reactions, e.g. formation of mercaptans. Also research and development on recycle of methanol to increase the amount of ethanol and recycle of tail-gas was started. The further processing of the mixed alcohols to hydrocarbons was examined based on literature data.

The objective of this project is now to prepare everything for up-scaling to pilot scale, which includes the following work:

• Design of the overall pilot plant including definition of main units and also detailed mass and energy balances.

• Performing long term tests of about 1000 hours at the lab scale unit in Güssing.

• Demonstrate the pilot-scale conversion of woody biomass residues to renewable ethanol in a scale of 10Nm³/h at the location of West Biofuels (project partner).

• Implementation of a model based control system, to have more precise temperature control of the MAS reactor