Yilkins receives order to deliver torrefaction plant to Indian conglomerate Reliance

Yilkins is a renewable technology company focused on the valorization of biomass and organic residues into renewable energy and valuable industrial and chemical products. Yilkins' proprietary technology platform helps companies reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and reduce the environmental impact of their industrial operations.

Yilkins

Yilkins was founded in 2015 by Patrick Bergman (CTO) and Rob Voncken (CEO). Patrick has a background in research and development in biomass valorization and Rob has extensive international business experience in chemistry and materials including renewable fuels. The company initially developed an energy efficient technology to dry biomass, this platform was expanded in a second phase to carbonize biomass. It now employs 17 people.

In Ruurlo there is a demonstration plant in which all kinds of biomass (residues) can be tested to assess how suitable they are for drying and/or carbonization and where the optimal process settings are determined.

Yilkins plants process biomass and organic residues

Six prototypes have been built since 2015, some of them semi-commercial. These included projects for drying as well as torrefaction. Yilkins' torrefaction plants process biomass and organic residues into biofuels and other high-value end products. The torrefied product can be used, for example, in power plants, as well as feed a gasifier to produce bio-kerosene, bio-methanol and green hydrogen.

Torrefaction is the heating of residual streams in an oxygen-free environment. In this process, chemical changes take place without combustion. The properties of torrefied biomass include lower moisture content, higher density and higher calorific value. Torrefied material is easier to grind and can be made into pellets. The torrefied material can then be gasified and from the released gases a variety of chemical products can be made that are, for example, now made from natural gas. Think of plastics and fuel.

Rob Voncken: “We are involved in all kinds of programs to go from biomass to bio-kerosene for aviation, to bio-methanol for shipping, to 100% sustainable gasoline for cars and to green hydrogen. So you can completely replace fossil fuels."

The biomass material is often waste from forests, agriculture and food processing industries

The torrefaction plant is preferably located near where the biomass is produced. The final product must then be transported to a plant where gasification takes place. In this case, torrefied pellets will be made. The great advantage is that these contain hardly any moisture and are very compact, making transport costs relatively low. The pellets can then be gasified back into synthesis gas at the plant. If the torrefaction plant is close to the gasifier then the material can be processed immediately.

The transaction insured by Yilkins with Atradius Dutch State Business, involves the supply of a biomass torrefaction plant in India. The buyer is a subsidiary of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries ltd, active in energy, petrochemicals, natural gas, retail, telecommunications, mass media and textiles.

Plant

This plant will be located at their facility in Jamnagar. The torrefied material will be used to produce green syngas via gasification route which will be utilized to produce green fuels & derivatives.

In this case, the biomass being processed will mainly consist of agricultural residues, especially residues from the cotton plant (cotton stalk) and invasive plant species Juliflora.

Reliance aspires to achieve net carbon zero by 2035 through use of renewable and bio energy pathways for a sustainable and green business. Yilkins' solution makes an essential contribution to Reliance's sustainability goals. The plant will be built in the Netherlands and shipped in its entirety to India. It is scheduled to be operational by mid-2025.

Fair Calling Facility

Atradius DSB has been asked to provide stand-alone guarantee coverage and a counter-guarantee under the Fair Calling Facility for both the down payment guarantee and the maintenance guarantee. The down payment guarantee runs until the arrival of the goods at debtor's site. The maintenance guarantee will only take effect after complete delivery and commissioning of the plant. Therefore, these guarantees will not be active simultaneously. The guarantees are provided by Rabobank, subject to the Atradius counter guarantees.

Yilkins has the interest of several large parties, for which it is already performing engineering projects. The interested multinationals see in Yilkins' technology a means to reduce their carbon footprint and achieve energy savings. With these partners, Yilkins has been conducting engineering activities for some time, and several orders are in the pipeline.

Max ten Have - Senior Export Credit Specialist

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