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February 6, 2013

Forest BtL selects Axens’ Gasel F-T Technology Suite

Gerald Ondrey

Forest BtL Oy (Vantaa, Finland; www.forestbtl.com) and Axens (Rueil-Malmaison, France; www.axens.net)  have signed a license for the use of Gasel technology suite in the Biomass to Liquid (BtL) plant to be constructed in Ajos, near the city of Kemi, Finland.

Ajos BtL is a NER300 supported second-generation biofuels project that will convert sustainable forest residue into 3,700 bbl/d of 2nd generation renewable liquid fuels. The biomass will be gasified to produce the syngas feeding the Gasel technology suite.

Gasel technology suite, licensed by Axens, was originally co-developed by ENI and IFPEN. It includes a Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis section using state of the art slurry-bubble-column reactor and proprietary cobalt-based catalyst, and an upgrading section enabling the transformation of F-T paraffinic products into high-quality middle distillates (jet, diesel) and naphtha. Axens will also provide the syngas final purification upstream Gasel. Axens will deliver process design package (PDP), technical assistance during start-up and operation, and will manufacture and supply all the associated catalysts.