Overview on Biorefining Activities in Austria Bioenergy Australia Conference Nov Brisbane Michael Mandl

Transcription

1 Overview on Biorefining Activities in Austria Bioenergy Australia Conference Nov Brisbane Michael Mandl

2 Outlook Overview on biorefining projects in Austria Details on 3 selected biorefiniery examples (1) Ligno-cellulose biorefinery at LENZING AG (productions scale) (2) OPTFUEL; optimising methane yield of an anaerobic digestion process (pilot scale) (3) Green Biorefinery Utzenaich; producing amino acids & lactic acid and biogas from grass silage (pilot scale) Recommendations on biorefining 2

3 Biorefining Activities in Austria In a nut shell, biorefiney activities focus on agricultural (waste) streams e.g. wheat straw, Process residues of food/ feed production residues starch production (e.g. fist gen. bioethanol biorefinery, AGRANA), wheat bran, pomace (wine and different fruits), oil press cakes, de-lactosed whey permeate Co-products valorisation and pulp production Biorefinery concepts for chemicals, bioethanol, materials Other biomass (grass, intercrops, algae..) Pyrolysis / gasification (e.g. pant in Güssing) 3

4 Good source of information concerning national levels Biorefining country reports Austria download via IEA Bioenergy Task 42 webpage Webpage operated by Austria R&D funding bodies covering activities for sustainable development via search option die abstract and contact persons of project can be found. 4

5 (1) Ligno-cellulose Biorefinery at Lenzing AG, Austria Source: Karin Fackler 2016

6 Lenzing AG is a global producer of wood-based cellulose fibers Produced from the raw material wood Natural wearing properties of natural fibers combined with the advantages of synthetic fibers such as purity and consistent quality Source: Karin Fackler 2016

7 Understanding the biorefinery Lenzing Sustainable processing of beech wood into a spectrum of marketable products (chemicals, materials) and energy (power, heat) Source: Karin Fackler 2016

8 Pulp production at Lenzing Source: Karin Fackler 2016

9 Lenzing biorefinery summary Main product is pulp but recovery of co-products is operative more than 10 years at industrial scale Co-products strengthen the entire process chain and deliver significant revenues Recovery of furfural and acetic acids has significantly reduced the CSB of waste water and treatment costs Xylose separation is made by an industrial partner Revenue from products are much higher than the caloric value 9

10 (2) OptFuel Opt-Fuel project at Asten/Linz in Austria Optimising an anaerobic digestion process to fully exploit organic carbon of feedstock for maximum methane production at pilot scale 10

11 Biogas production and utilisation State of the Art: Biogas + CHP State of the Art: Biogas + gas cleaning/upgrading process Source: J. Lindorfer 2016

12 OptFuel Approach Goal: Full conversion of biomass`s carbon to energy carrier Source: J. Lindorfer 2016 Integrate additional processes (1) H 2 production (2 stage fermentation, power-to-gas (2) Methanation (3) Gas membranes to separate methane and recycle C0 2

13 Additional methane yield by methanation biogas = CH 4 + CO 2 ~ 55 % CH 4 H 2 ~ 45 % CO 2 CH 4 Project partner methanation 4 H 2 + CO 2 CH H 2 O

14 Piloted process concept condenser adsportion biogasmix CH 4 /CO 2 /H 2 compressor H 2 H 2 /CO 2 CH 4 /CO 2 recycle condenser CH 4 >96 vol-% ~ 105 NL/h 5 L/h slurry % DM % odm H 2 -fermentation C; ph 4-6 HRT 5-50 h Vf 150 L CH 4 -fermentation C; ph 6-8 HRT d Vf L methanation membrane separation digestate ~ 5 L/h Biogas production Methanation Gas processing fermentation of biowaste materials 2-stage (vs. single-stage) hydrogen stage methane stage simple process control mesophilic, unsterile, mixed culture, no additives chemical catalytic catalyst commercially available process optimization process pressures space velocities loads methane in educt gas raw gas conditioning drying and adsorption gas processing by membrane separation technology operation optimization & simulation Source: J. Lindorfer 2016

15 Results of economic assessment 2016* 2030* -Cent/kWh LHV taxes & duties price (excl. taxes) Cent/kWh LHV taxes & duties price (excl. taxes) *Full cost caluculation for the OptFuel-process concept for a scale of 90 Nm³/h CH 4 -Output Central european prices and cost structures anticipated Technological learning and electrolyser / electricity input cost reduction is responsible for estimated cost degradtion Fossil benchmarks based on IEA and EU prognosis Cost competitiveness is primarily reachable in the transport segment Additional income for waste disposal, capacity increase and balancing energy possible Source: J. Lindorfer 2016

16 Results of OptFuel pilot project Proof of concept accomplished: Integration of unit operation from 3 Partners to one continuous operation Gas quality according to Austrian standard (ÖVGW G31) was achieved under moderate test campaign conditions The operation of the overall system was possible with fluctuating biogas composition Process was able to handle extremely high fluctuations in composition of the bio-waste feedstock Methane from the Optfuel process has significant reduction potentials of greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil benchmarks (if power from renewable resources is used)

17 (3) Green Biorefinery Green Biorefinery processes green biomass for products & energy targeting on utilizing Proteins (amino acids) Soluble sugars (or products after fermentation of sugars; e.g. lactic acid) Ligno- cellulose fraction ( e.g. fibres) Special/ fine chemicals Minerals (e.g. fertilizer) Energy (e.g. biogas) 17

18 Motivation for Green Biorefinery Grass has become a surplus biomass in some regions due to change in agricultural sector From grass for cattle towards grass for bio-industry Food Products milk, beef and manure Biobased Products food/feed, materials, bulk and fine chemicals, biofuels and energy..from cow to technical cow 18

19 Set-up of Pilot Green Biorefinery in Utzenaich/ Austria Grass Biomass (Grass, Clover, Lucerne) Silage Amino acid separation Lactic acid separation Amio acids high grade Lactic acid food grade Pre-treatment and pressing Residues Fertilizer Presscake Juice Anaerobic digestion Biogas CHP, BioCNG Demonstration plant Utzenaich Fibreutilisation Fibre Conversion to liquid biofuels 2 nd gen. biofuels page 19

20 Primary processing First step: Mechanical fractionation to generate a juice and a solid fraction from grass silage Grass Silage feedstock quality important Juice for product separation Solids feedstock for biogas page 20

21 Down stream processing of silage juice Combination of different separation processes: Ultra & nano filtration Electro dialysis Reversed osmosis Ion exchange page 21

22 Results Green Biorefinery Pilot Process Quality of grass silage is very important Grass contains all 20 essential amino acids! (BCAAs >25%) Economy Economic feasibility of processing is possible at moderate scales (app DM/a feedstock) Required revenue for amino acid mixture > 4-6 /kg Co-valorisation of grass press cake has strong effect on economics (Green power tariffs for biogas CHP) Implementation AA products from grass are new! USP: Vegan source of AAs page 22

23 Conclusions / Take home message Biorefineries are essential to transfer towards circular bioeconomy More development is still needed to make impact; bottle neck is at pilot/demonstration stage There is NO general biorefinery solution but the NEED of customised - reginal embedded solutions Feedstock logistics determine size of a biorefinery Clip-on biorefineries have high potential (valorisation of process wastes, extending existing processing etc.) Cross-sectorial cooperation is key for implementation 23

24 Aknowledgments/ Contacts Thanks for you kind attention! DI Michael Mandl tbw research GesmbH, Vienna Special thanks for contributions from Dr. Karin Fackler Lenzing AG Dr. Johannes Lindorfer Energieinstitut an der J. Kepler Universität Linz We kindly acknowledge support, grants and funds provided by Austrian Research Promotion Agency 24