Is there a potential for synthetic production of edible oils in Stenungsund?
The Power-to-Food project in Stenungsund has concluded. Its purpose was to showcase the potential for creating an integrated food production system, producing edible oils and fats from renewable electricity, water, and carbon dioxide, as part of a new type of value chain for the Stenungsund industrial cluster. We asked a few questions to the project leader, Pontus Bokinge, from Chalmers Industriteknik.
What did you investigate in the project?
The project investigated chemical process pathways for producing synthetic “copies” of common edible oils and fats, such as palm oil, coconut oil, and dairy products. Compared to conventional food production, such processes significantly reduce environmental impact in several areas, including deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, eutrophication, and acidification. The project evaluated and compared production costs for five different process pathways. These included both so-called Power-to-X concepts (production of chemicals, fuels, and other products from carbon dioxide and renewable electricity) and bio-based concepts (production from biogenic waste and by-products).
All process pathways are based on first producing a “platform chemical” (methane, methanol, or ethanol), which is then used to produce ethylene. The ethylene is subsequently reacted through multiple steps to create edible oils and fats.
What were the most important results?
The results indicate that the lowest production costs can be achieved by using bio-based ethanol as the platform chemical. This pathway also utilizes more mature technology compared to the others, which is an advantage. To realize all the environmental benefits compared to conventional food production, it is crucial that the bio-ethanol is produced from waste or by-products.
Among the evaluated Power-to-X concepts, the lowest production costs are achieved with methanol as the platform chemical. All the assessed process pathways can reach production costs comparable to the price of more expensive edible oils and fats (e.g., dairy products). However, they currently face challenges in competing with products like palm oil, which is traded at significantly lower prices.
How can the results be used moving forward?
The results can primarily be utilized by the company Green-On, which was part of the project team and is developing technologies and solutions for producing synthetic edible oils and fats. Green-On has conducted successful pilot-scale trials, and the project outcomes can assist the company in selecting a pathway for scaling up the technology to a commercial level. However, the best process pathway is determined not only by production costs (as examined in this project) but also by several other factors, such as environmental impact.
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