Mercurius Biorefining

Mercurius Biorefining is developing its novel REACH process, which converts cellulosic biomass to hydrocarbons in the renewable diesel, aviation, and marine fuel ranges. Valuable by-products include bio-char and a bio-plastic monomer, FDCA.  REACH (Renewable Acid-hydrolysis Condensation Hydrotreating) is a novel application of proven technologies which is both feedstock- and product-flexible. Sources of potential feedstock include waste from municipalities (e.g. biogenic portion of MSW), forestry and agriculture.

Why the name Mercurius?

Mercurius is a combination of the gods of writing and of knowledge; the Greek god of interpretive communication, the Egyptian god of wisdom and Roman god of astrology and alchemy. His influence over alchemy, which had the goal of turning a plentiful element (lead) into a precious rare element (gold), seemed to fit neatly with the mission of Mercurius Biorefining - to produce diesel, jet fuel and green chemicals (gold) from waste feedstock (lead).

REACH Technology Mercurius Biorefining is developing a patented technology that is potentially ground-breaking in the search for cellulosic fuels.

• Efficiently converts biomass into biofuels and green chemicals without producing CO2 byproduct like fermentation and gasification processes
• Uses two widely deployed and well understood industrial processing techniques; one from the pulp and paper industry and the other from petroleum refining
• Creates an intermediate bio-crude product through the use of catalytic hydrolysis (similar to the pulp and paper industry
• Produces diesel and jet fuel hydrocarbons through a solid-bed-catalytic process analogous to the way the petroleum industry converts crude oil into the various petroleum products on the market today
• Does not use enzymes or microbes therefore it is not sensitive to feedstock impurities

Technology Advantages

• High yields

• High-value by-products: including FDCA, bio-char, levulinic acid, formic acid

• Non-extreme operating conditions: low-temperature, low-pressure, does not use enzymes or microbes

• Wide product range: cellulosic diesel and jet fuel with superb flow properties and high cetane number

• Uses established, reliable chemical processes

• Flexibility of feedstock, with no sugar intermediate required

• Beneficial for fuel producers and blenders: A means to fulfill renewable fuel obligations and improve their blending economics, due to excellent blend property of products