GREENPOWER ENERGY LTD

• USING COAL• No Burning or combustion

• WE USE COAL AS A FEEDSTOCK IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

• BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC• AGRICULTURAL BIOSTIMULANTS

• FUELS• FINE CHEMICALS

• USING THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGYFor

per

sona

l use

onl

y

COAL TO CHEMICALS

•The future of coal depends on development anddeployment of technologies that utilize theresource for the production of high valueproducts with the smallest possibleenvironmental footprint.

For

per

sona

l use

onl

y

VICTORIAN BROWN COAL

• ONE OF THE BEST FEEDSTOCKS IN THE WORLD• 1. Abundant and available at reasonable cost.

• 2. Very low deleterious impurities.

• 3. Very low ash.

• 4. Reactive [oxygen].

• Is often characterised as “wood with the cellulose removed by nature”.

•

For

per

sona

l use

onl

y

OHD of Victorian Brown Coal

OH O

OH

O

Vanillic acid + Vanillin~25-35%

OH O

OH

p-HBA~15-25%

VictorianBrown Coal (VBC)

VBCOHD

“liquor”

• Gives a moderately simple mixture of products dominated by structuresdirectly related to lignin, especially para hydroxy benzoic acid andvanillic acid

For

per

sona

l use

onl

y

Potential product streams

1. Humates/Fulvates – Soil additives, agricultural applications.Using the raw output as an agricultural biostimulant and as asoil carbon source. Methodology for using this material beingdeveloped at Monash University. Commonwealth R & D grantfor this work.

2. Raw alcoholic product (coarse fuel)

3. Esterified fuel

4. Refined purified chemical products : eg synthetic vanilla; egprecursor chemicals for the production of bio-degradableplastic.F

or p

erso

nal u

se o

nly

Potential Product Stream, ctd

• BIODIESEL• The raw OHD liquor is a carbon source for moulds and algae. Moulds

and algae readily form in the OHD liquor and will grow vigorouslyuntil all the carbon has been consumed. These growths contain lipids.Until now this phenomena has not received any quantitativeinvestigation.

• We have commissioned Monash University to carry out trials whichwill show whether lipid yield is high enough for commercialdevelopment of biodiesel.

For

per

sona

l use

onl

y

Vanillate and pHB can be used for production of aromaticpolyesters comparable to PET

• There is a large body of literature on synthesis and properties of polyesters (and,to a lesser degree, polyurethanes, polyamides and others) based on Vanillate andits analogues, especially pHB and Syringate.

OH

OOH

O

Vanillic acid

O

Polyethylene Vanillate (PEV)

O(CH2)2

OO

O

For

per

sona

l use

onl

y

Polyethylene Terephthalate

(PET)

• Tg = 67 oC

• Tm = 265 oC

• NOT readily biodegradable

Polyethylene Vanillate

(PEV)

• Tg = 55 oC (84 oC)

• Tm = 254 oC (276 oC)

• BiodegradableO

O

O(CH2)2

O

Source: Mialon et al., 2011Lang and Kordsachia, 1981Hirakawa 2011

O(CH2)2

OO

O

1

For

per

sona

l use

onl

y

Both benzylic structures and ethersare prone to oxidation(Often these reactions occur spontaneously,even at room temperature)

Coal Chemistry

Neither of thesestructures isparticularly reactivetowards reductionCoal, especially low rank coal,

spontaneously oxidizes whenexposed to air

[ ]n

[ ]n

O

Oxidative strategies are the logical approach tobreaking up the macromolecular structure of coal

For

per

sona

l use

onl

y

CriticalPoint374oC

0

50

100

150

200

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

Pre

ssure

(Atm

osphere

s)

Pre

ssure

(psi)

Temperature (oC)

Steam

Liquid

Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution (OHD)

OHD is a novel, environmentally friendlytechnology, for the conversion of coaland other solid organic materials intolow molecular weight, water solubleproducts, by a direct, (non-gasification)process based on oxidative bondscission.

OHD works by reaction of coal, or othermacromolecular organic solids, withdissolved oxygen in high temperature(200-370oC), high pressure, liquid water.

For

per

sona

l use

onl

y

The OHD Process…• Is technically straightforward and operates at industrially feasible

conditions and rates

• Uses only water and oxygen. Requires no exotic solvents or catalysts

• Readily achieves high to complete conversion of coal with high recovery(typically 70-90+%) of the products as solubilized low molecular weightmaterials

• Does not assume or require rejection of carbon

• Is inherently environmentally friendly• Produces little CO2

• Minor gaseous product is mainly CO• No NOx or SOx or other problematic emissionsF

or p

erso

nal u

se o

nly

OHD: THE HARDWARE

• ENGINEERING SCALE SYSTEM [go to whoa] DESIGNED ANDBUILT

For

per

sona

l use

onl

y

Complete (OHD and downstream) plant processmodel now developed

Seven basic unit operations:A. Milling/Slurry prep.B. OHDC. Clarification + primary dewateringD. Solvent exchangeE. Alcohol recovery/recycleF. EsterificationG. Distillation

For

per

sona

l use

onl

y

Overall Process Flow Diagram(redacted for IP)

For

per

sona

l use

onl

y

Water is recycled fromDownstream processes

OHD Process Flow Diagram,existing 2-5 kg/hr PDU

Downstream Processing of OHD liquor

Raw liquor from OHD

• Clarification and Concentration

• Removal of suspended solids (unconvertedorganics + minerals)

• Primary water removal stage

• 80-90% water removal

• Solvent exchange• Final dewatering step

• Product in >95% alcohol

• Esterification

• Conventional (acid catalyzed) process

• Distillation

• Conventional process

2

3

4

1

A

B

C

D E

F

G

For

per

sona

l use

onl

y

All major unit-opsdemonstrated at small

engineering scaleFor

per

sona

l use

onl

y

For

per

sona

l use

onl

y