Doubling of synthetic biofuelproduction with hydrogenfrom renewable energyDr. Ilkka Hannula & Esa KurkelaVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd

Carbon Capture and Storage Program (CCSP)• Target: technological readiness for pilots and demonstrations by the end of

the program• 17 industrial partners, 9 research partners, 1.1.2011 – 31.10.2016

РVolume: 15 Mۥ Key focus areas:

– Carbon capture and storage (CCS) in CHP systems– CCS related to multi-fuel and Bio-CCS– Solid looping technologies (e.g. CLC)– Overcoming non-technical barriers for CCS– Monitoring technologies– Mineral carbonation

• Close collaboration with IEA GHG,NORDICCS, Swedish CCS Project(Bastor2), Bastor, BASREC

• Participation in IEA GHG, IEA CCS,ZEP, EERA CCS, ENeRG, CGSEurope, International Gas Union

3

World GHG emissions in 2010

Source: Ecofys

4

Biomass gasification for fuels and chemicals

PEAT AMMONIA PLANTOULU, FINLAND

SYNGAS R&D FOR BIOFUELSo GASIFICATION PROCESS DEVELOPMENTo CATALYTIC REFROMINGo FINAL GAS CLEANINGo TESTING OF SYNTHESIS CATALYSTS

GASIFICATIONR&D AND PILOTINGUSA, GERMANY,SWEDEN, FINLAND

2010 2015 20201985 2005 203020001995 2025

BIO-DME PLANTPITEÅ, SWEDEN

GTI PILOT, USA

NSE BIOFUELS, FINLAND

BIO-FUELS ANDCHEMICALSo DIESEL, MeOH, DME,

SNG, H2, GASOLINEo OLEFINS, OTHER CHEMICALSo FOREST & AGRO-INDUSTRY

INTEGRATIONo INTEGRATION TO HEAT

AND POWERo INTEGRATION TO SOLAR &

WIND ENERGYo NEW WASTE-TO-FUEL

CONCEPTS

SKIVE CHP, DENMARK

CEGABTL 2015 - 2017o IMPROVED LARGE-SCALE

GASIFICATION PROCESSo NEW PROCESSES FOR SMALLER SCALEo SIMPLER, CHEAPER GAS CLEANINGo NEW CONCEPTS FOR INTEGRATED

PRODUCTION OF FUELS, POWER AND HEAT

504/11/2015 5*Source: Wasted - Europe’s untapped resource,http://europeanclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/WASTED-final.pdf

Sustainably available residues and wastein the EU in 2030*

“If all the sustainably availableresidues and wastes would beconverted only to biofuels, itcould supply 16 % of thetransportation fuel need inthe EU in 2030(technical potential).”

Solar insolation greatly exceeds our needs!

More energy from sunlight strikes the Earth in one hour(4.3 × 1020 J) than all the energy consumed on the planet in a year(4.1 × 1020 J).

This theoretical potential could be used to generate15 TW of low-carbon power from 10 %-efficientsolar-conversion systems covering 0.17%of the earth’s surface area

This is roughly 2.5 times theland area of Finland

Base case layout forsynthetic biofuelsproduction allows:• 50 – 60 % fuel

efficiency and• up to 80 % overall

efficiency.

These numbers areamong the best in theindustry.

GASIFICATION SYNTHESISGAS CLEAN-UP UPGRADINGBiomassresidues

Syntheticfuel

CO2

Despite the high energy efficiency, more than half of feedstock carbon isrejected from the process, as there is not enough hydrogen to convert itinto fuels.

The traditional conversion route is therefore hydrogen constrained.

Feed carbon

Surplus carbonFeed hydrogenBiomass

feedstock

However, by adding hydrogen from external source, the surpluscarbon could be hydrogenated to fuel as well.

Fuel

Feed carbon

Surplus carbon

External hydrogen

Feed hydrogenBiomassfeedstock

However, by adding hydrogen from external source, the surpluscarbon could be hydrogenated to fuel as well.

Fuel

Feed carbon

Fuel

Surplus carbon

External hydrogen

Feed hydrogenFuelBiomass

feedstock

However, by adding hydrogen from external source, the surpluscarbon could be hydrogenated to fuel as well.

CO

FuelH2

H2Biomassfeedstock

Fuel

But the surplus carbon is in the form of CO2 instead of CO!

CO2

Implications:- Only methane and methanol have reaction route via CO2- More H2 is required to produce one mole of fuel from CO2 than from CO- CO2 has higher activation energy than CO- Byproduct water from CO2 hydrogenation inhibits methanol catalysts

CO

Fuel

CO2

H2

H2Biomassfeedstock

Fuel

Despite challenges related to CO2 hydrogenation, the potentialincrease in fuel output is significant.

Fuel

CO

H2

CO2

Biomassfeedstock

H2

O2

Despite challenges related to CO2 hydrogenation, the potentialincrease in fuel output is significant.

FuelC

onversion

CO

H2

CO2

Biomassfeedstock

H2Low-C

electricity Electrolysis

Conversion

Gasoline via oxygen gasification (carbon flows)

Gasoline via steam gasification

Gasoline via enhanced steam gasification

Gasoline via enhanced oxygen gasification

Gasoline via oxygen gasification (energy)

Gasoline via enhanced oxygen gasification (energy)

SUMMARY: Hydrocarbon output from100 MW biomass input

”Biomass only” pathway:

• 52 MW of gasoline

• 31 % carbon utilisation

Bioenergy with hydrogen supplement:

• 134 MW of gasoline

• 79 % carbon utilisation

-------> 134 / 52 = 2.6 fold increase in output!

Take-home messages• With proper integration, biomass residues can be converted to

biofuels and heat at ~80 % overall thermal efficiency• Still, more than half of biomass carbon not utilised at all in fuel

production• Renewable and sustainable carbon a scarce resource globally• Combining the vast resources of wind and solar with bioenergy

can effectively more than double biomass ”availability”• Significant impact to sustainability issues as well?• Cost will remain as an issue. However, hydrogen enhanced

biofuels likely to be the least cost method for large scaledecarbonisation of the hydrocarbon supply system?

Thank you for your attention!

http://www.cleen.fi/en/ccsp

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