RD&D needs and recommendations for the production of high-efficient biosng

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1 RD&D needs and recommendations for the production of high-efficient biosng Robin Zwart Presentation held at the conference Gas Clean-up and Gas Treatment October 22nd 2009, ECN-M October 2009

2 2 ECN-M

3 RD&D needs and recommendations for the production of high-efficient biosng Robin Zwart

4 RD&D needs and recommendations for the production of high-efficient biosng Supporting organisations: NoE Bioenergy ERA-NET Bioenergy Co-authors: Tuula Mäkinen and Carl Wilén (VTT) Philip Peck and Andrius Plepys (IIIEE) Gerfried Jungmeier and Johanna Pucker (Joanneum Research) 2

5 Outline Motivation for biosng Production of biosng Methanation issues ECNs biosng production concept RD&D needs and recommendations 3

6 Motivation for biosng Large market - Natural gas consumption is significant - Targets for renewable and sustainable energy also valid for natural gas Easy to implement - Conventional fuel in an existing distribution grid Efficient as well as sustainable fuel - High production efficiencies - Excellent Green House Gas emission reduction Increasing interest from the industry 4

7 2005 Primary Energy Consumption in EUROGAS Member Countries and EU25 Mt.o.e. Oil Solid fossil fuels Natural gas Nuclear el Hydro el. El. Imports Renewables Others Austria Germany Denmark France Finland Netherlands Poland Sweden UK EU EU Total Gas : Total [%] Source: Eurogas (2006) EU25 : Natural Gas Trends Statistical Data & Taxes 5

8 cheap production at large scale CO 2 available for storage, EOR,... gas storage enables whole year operation efficient and cheap distribution of gas easy application biomass SNG plant existing gas grid no local biomass transport natural gas back-up easy to meet emission limits distributed use for transport, heat, electricity high social acceptance biomass SNG (Substitute Natural Gas) 6

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11 Motivation for biosng Technology developers and suppliers Utility companies 9

12 Production of biosng 10

13 Production of SNG Dakotagas (USA): Lurgi coal gasification Large scale coal based SNG production: The gasifier is not suitable for conversion of biomass and/or tars The gas cleaning and 25 years conditioning of operation applied is operating at pressure levels and sulphur loads being (for the moment) not realistic for biomass based systems The Rectisol unit removes to many high valuable gas components 11

14 Production of biosng Güssing (Au): FICFB gasification & RME scrubbing Small scale biomass based heat and SNG production: The gasifier is not optimised for SNG production The gas Güssing cleaning gasifier and conditioning in commercial applied operation starts with the conventional RME scrubber of Güssing and does not allow high tar contents 1 in MW the th initial slipstream product SNG gas testing ongoing Water is condensed out before the methanation 12

15 Production of biosng Petten (Nl): MILENA gasification & OLGA tar removal Large scale biomass based SNG production: The gasifier is optimised for SNG production The gas MILENA cleaning and gasifier conditioning in pilot applied testing starts phase with the flexible OLGA tar removal technology and hence does allow high tar contents in the Lab initial scale product SNG gas testing ongoing Water is not condensed out before the methanation 13

16 Production of biosng Comparison with entrained flow and pressurised O 2 blown Entrained flow: Oxygen blown CFB: Indirect/allothermal: operated at elevated pressure no tars in product gas no methane in product gas complicated feeding operated at slightly elevated pressure methane in product gas tars and organic sulphur in gas limited char conversion methane in product gas no oxygen plant requied tars and organic sulphur in gas atmospheric, compression required 14

17 heated air Biomass 50% moisture T4.1: System description Dryer to 15% moisture flue gas Pressurised O 2 -blown EF gasification Guard bed S and Cl removal heated air Torrefaction pre-treatment flue gas oxygen steam Gasifier oxygen-blown EF slag Methanation Water quench to 200 C Condensation H 2 O removal condensate Venturi/Demister Aersol/solid removal effluent Compression to 30 bara fresh ZnO ZnO S removal spent ZnO Selexol CO 2 removal CO 2 SNG on specification 15

18 T4.1: System description heated air Biomass 50% moisture Dryer to 20% moisture flue gas Pressurised O 2 -blown CFB gasification Guard bed S and Cl removal oxygen steam Gasifier oxygen-blown CFB bottom ash steam Gas cleaning olefin removal Gas Cooler to 400 C Methanation Cyclone dust removal cyclone ash Condensation H 2 O removal condensate stripper steam make-up oil OLGA tar removal loaded steam to gasifier liquid tar to gasifier Compression to 30 bara fresh ZnO ZnO S removal spent ZnO Selexol CO 2 removal CO 2 SNG on specification 16

19 heated air Biomass 50% moisture T4.1: System description Dryer to 25% moisture flue gas Atmospheric air-blown indirect gasification Guard bed S and Cl removal air steam Gasifier Indirect flue gas flue gas filter ash steam Gas cleaning olefin removal Gas Cooler to 400 C Methanation Cyclone dust removal cyclone ash to combustor Condensation H 2 O removal condensate stripper air make-up oil OLGA tar removal loaded air to gasifier liquid tar to gasifier Compression to 30 bara Compression to 9 bara Selexol CO 2 removal CO 2 fresh ZnO ZnO S removal spent ZnO SNG on specification 17

20 Production of biosng Others: entrained flow, pressurised O 2 blown, 18

21 Methanation issues Problematic components for methanation Benzene: Thiophene: Ethylene: Benzothiophene: Toluene: Acetylene: Dibenzothiophene: 19

22 Methanation issues Non-problematic components for methanation Saturated hydrocarbons: Saturated hydrocarbons are converted into methane Phenol: Phenol is converted Ammonia and hydrogen cyanide: Hydrogen cyanide is converted into ammonia Chlorine: Although not problematic for the catalyst it can result in corrosion of materials! 20

23 ECNs biosng production concept Based on MILENA gasification and OLGA tar removal Component Downstream MILENA Downstream OLGA CO vol% H2 vol% CO2 vol% O2 vol% CH4 vol% N2+Ar vol% C2H2 vol% C2H4 vol% C2H6 vol% C6H6 vol% C7H8 vol% Tar g/mn

24 ECNs biosng production concept ~500 C / Na 2 CO 3 on solid structure ~ C / CoMo or NiMo ~500 C / Noble metals (Ru, Rh) ~ C / Ni based catalyst 22

25 RD&D needs and recommendations Upscaling gasification and tar removal Biomass gasification has still not yet matured: Commercial Gϋssing gasifier has a capacity of 8 MW th Pilot MILENA gasifier has a capacity of 1 MW th Goteborg Energi wants MW th HVC starts with 50 MW th E.ON wants 200+ MW th 23

26 RD&D needs and recommendations Demonstrating the critical gas cleaning steps Cleaning was developed for fossil fuel based systems: The critical gas cleaning systems did not have to handle unsaturated hydrocarbons, tars, organic sulphur, nor were optimised for being able to handle these components Demonstration of the critical gas cleaning steps up till now has been limited to lab and pilot scale testing for limited amount of time 24

27 RD&D needs and recommendations Adjusting the methanation catalyst There is only 1 commercial methanation unit in operation: The methanation catalyst was optimised for this specific coal based application and has over the last 25 years hardly been improved Optimisation of the catalyst, either in order to be able to handle specific biomass related contaminants in the product gas or in order to produce CH 4 more efficiently will require realistic long-term testing 25

28 RD&D needs and recommendations ERA-NET Bioenergy: Gasification for SNG and FT Meeting on October 23 rd in (15:00-16:00) Recommendations for support: Demonstration of the critical gas cleaning steps - application of commercial catalysts in real gases - optimisation of catalysts to improve performance - demonstration of the overall system Adjustment of the methanation catalyst - catalysts tolerant to sulphur - catalysts tolerant to unsaturated hydrocarbons Keep in mind the differences between FT and SNG 26

29 Contact information Robin Zwart e: PO Box 1 t: NL 1755 ZG Petten w: the Netherlands publications: fuel composition database: tar dew point calculator: IEA bioenergy/gasification: Milena indirect gasifier: OLGA tar removal: SNG: and 27