A Novel Biofuel From
Sewage Treatment Biosolids
What Is EEB biofuel?
• renewable biofuel
• blends with existing fossil fuels
EEB is short for ethyl 3-ethoxybutyrate, a renewable biofuel made
from sewage treatment biosolids and other organic waste materials.
EEB can be used as a fuel additive to displace and clean up existing
fossil fuels, and to lower their carbon footprint. We have performed
five years of research and development on EEB including combustion
EEB Can Be Made Everywhere!
tests at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Our testing showed
that blending EEB with diesel significantly reduces soot emissions, similar to how ethanol reduces emissions
when blended with gasoline. EEB can also be blended with gasoline or burned cleanly to produce electricity.
Why Is EEB Important?
• fuel made where fuel is used
• lower carbon footprint than fossil fuels
EEB Production Sites in US
The ability to make EEB anywhere,
using sewage treatment biosolids,
means that every community has
Dairies
the starting material to make a
Sewage Treatment Plants
clean, renewable fuel. EEB augments
# of Possible EEB Facilities
our existing energy infrastructure
in two ways. First, by blending with fossil fuels in internal combustion engines, we can reduce soot emissions
and lower the carbon footprint. Our testing so far has demonstrated that it can blend up to 20% with gasoline
and diesel, but EEB has the potential to run an internal combustion engine on its own. Second, EEB can support
the creation of a distributed energy generation system that provides fuel or electricity directly to the community
in which it is made -- the United States alone has enough biosolids to make over a billion gallons of EEB each
year. In addition to sewage treatment biosolids, we can use agricultural by-products and animal waste to produce
enough EEB to make the United States a net energy exporter while decreasing our dependence upon fossil fuel!
Ranches
© 2014 Vitruvian Energy, SPC
TEL: 206.852.6599 | www.vitruvianenergy.com
A Novel Biofuel From
Sewage Treatment Biosolids
VISION STATEMENT
Vitruvian Energy develops innovative
solutions to environmental challenges.
We believe that all organic waste
materials can be captured and recycled
to produce green products and clean
energy. Our biofuel technology turns
organic waste into local, renewable
energy. We have a triple bottom line
approach that promotes helping
people and the planet in addition
to creating a profitable company.
HISTORY
Vitruvian Energy was recently founded
in Seattle, WA by Zack McMurry and
Todd Robinson as a Social Purpose
Corporation. Part of our social purpose
involves helping local communities
control their energy future by using
a renewable energy source (sewage
treatment biosolids) that is produced
and controlled by the community
in which it is made. Funding for EEB
has come from both the California
Energy Commission and the National
Science Foundation and has resulted
in two US patents for the production
and use of the biofuel. EEB has been
very successful in a laboratory vehicle
-- now it is time to demonstrate this
innovative technology in the real world!
© 2014 Vitruvian Energy, SPC
How Is EEB Made?
• sewage treatment biosolids
• innovative biofuel technology
EEB can be made from many organic waste materials. The first step in
making EEB is a fermentation of the organic source material and a biological
conversion into a bioplastic. A chemical transformation of the bio-plastic
results in the final EEB product. Our process uses ethanol as a reactant, but
produces about 2 kilograms of EEB for every kilogram of ethanol. EEB can
be made from sewage treatment plant biosolids, which are the leftover
organic materials after wastewater is treated. However, as our technology
progresses we will be able to make EEB by using agricultural by-products
such as corn stover, rice straw, and animal waste from ranches and dairies.
What Is The Economic Impact Of EEB?
• costs less than $4 per gallon
• local energy production
We have performed significant techno-economic modeling for EEB at the
industrial scale, and we project that EEB can be made for less than $4/gallon.
Sewage treatment plants currently must pay to dispose of the biosolids, but
we can use these “waste” biosolids to make EEB. This not only saves money
for the community, it also produces a valuable product that can fuel cars,
trucks, or even electrical generators. Our technology does not use costly
genetically engineered bacteria or yeast, instead relying on native bacteria
found in the source materials that feed into our wastewater system. EEB is an
ideal transition fuel, as it can work within our existing energy infrastructure,
while simultaneously moving us towards a clean energy economy.
TEL: 206.852.6599 | www.vitruvianenergy.com