Oct 20 2009
The Fischer-Tropsch (FT) microchannel reactor, developed by Velocys Inc, a subsidiary of the Oxford Catalysts Group, has been named as winner in the Best Innovation by an SME category of the 2009 ICIS Innovation awards.
When combined with Oxford Catalysts' highly reactive FT catalyst optimised for use in it, the Velocys FT microchannel reactor enables the distributed production of liquid biofuels, including diesel and jet fuel, cost-effectively possible even when oil prices are as low as $60 per barrel. Potential feedstocks include crop residues, ligno-cellulose waste from trees, animal derived waste and municipal solid waste.
The ICIS Innovation Awards, now in their sixth year, are organised by ICIS, the chemical publishing arm of Reed Business Information, and sponsored by Dow Corning and CRA International. They are designed to recognise companies that have made significant steps forward in technological and business innovation. The awards are open to companies around the world. The winners were selected by a panel of industry experts from a short list of 13.
"These awards are important," says Dr Stephanie Burns, chairman, president and CEO of Dow Corning. "For our companies, our industry and our societies to respond effectively to megatrends such as green energy, clean and accessible water, and sustainable urban environments, we will need the engineers, product developers and research scientists of tomorrow to combine technical brilliance with insatiable curiosity, intellectual rigour, and a relentless passion for trying new approaches."
Derek Atkinson, Business Development Director, at Oxford Catalysts said:
"We are honoured to receive this important award in recognition of our work towards making greener energy a practical and commercially viable reality. The FT microchannel reactor provides a new way to make the production of next generation biofuels at a local scale workable and economically feasible, while avoiding the need to transport waste to large centralised production facilities and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill."