A THERMOCHEMICAL BIOREFINERY (TCB) INTEGRATION STRATEGY FOR PULP AND PAPER MILLS AND THE STATUS AND RESULTS OF AN OPERATING TCB PILOT PLANT

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1 A THERMOCHEMICAL BIOREFINERY (TCB) INTEGRATION STRATEGY FOR PULP AND PAPER MILLS AND THE STATUS AND RESULTS OF AN OPERATING TCB PILOT PLANT Eric Cnnr, Dave Newprt, Dan Burciaga ThermChem Recvery Internatinal, Inc Kppers Street, Suite 405 Baltimre, MD ABSTRACT TRI (ThermChem Recvery Internatinal) has been cmmercializing the thermchemical birefinery platfrm in the Pulp and paper industry fr ver fur years. The first part f this presentatin will be t review the integratin f the thermchemical birefinery platfrm strategy in a pulp and paper mill and prvide an update f tw pulp and paper birefineries currently in engineering design. TRI has cnstructed a bimass gasificatin prcess demnstratin unit (PDU) at Suthern Research Institute s Carbn t Liquids Research Center lcated at Durham NC. The PDU is designed t prcess 4 dry tns per day f bimass t syngas. It includes bimass strage and feed, gasificatin using a prprietary indirectly heated gasificatin technlgy, and gas clean-up. The PDU is designed t be integrated t any number f dwnstream catalytic prcesses t prduce fuels and chemicals. It is currently integrated t Emerging Fuels Technlgies (EFT) Fischer-Trpsch prcess. A number f trials have been run n varius bimass feedstcks. The secnd part f this presentatin will prvide a review the status f the PDU, test results t date and future test plans. INTEGRATED BIOREFINERY The integrated thermchemical birefinery, when hsted at a pulp and paper mill prvides the pprtunity t Increase mill revenues via the prcessing f bimass feedstcks t high value fuels and chemicals Lwer perating csts thrugh the integratin f the birefinery with the mill fr maximum thermal efficiency Significantly reduce the carbn ftprint f the mill site Utilize a phased apprach t take advantage f bth slid bimass and black liqur. The thermchemical birefinery can be feedstck flexible, prvides finished prduct ptinality and can be integrated int the hst in a number f cnfiguratins. The platfrm als takes advantages f all f the strengths built int the hst pulp and site such as Bimass grwing, harvesting, transprting expertise Expertise in prcessing bimass t finished prducts as well as prductin f steam, pwer and bi-prducts Infrastructure already in place THERMOCHEMICAL BIOREFINERY PLATFORM FACTS The Thermchemical platfrm birefinery utilizes technlgies that have been prven fr ver fifty years. The basic prcess blcks f the birefinery are Bimass preparatin (strage, handling, sizing and drying) Bimass gasificatin t prduce synthesis gas (syngas) Syngas clean-up Catalytic gas t liquids prcess and/r Energy prductin plant Energy recvery and integratin with the mill The Thermchemical birefinery platfrm is exthermic and, therefre, integrates thermally very well with an endthermic pulp and paper hst. 1

2 FEEDSTOCK AND FINISHED PRODUCT OPTIONALITY The Thermchemical birefinery platfrm is ideal fr use in a frest prducts birefinery as it is uniquely cnfigured fr highperfrmance integratin with pulp and paper facilities and is capable f handling a wide variety f cellulsic feedstcks, including wdchips, frest residuals, agricultural wastes and energy crps, as well as mill byprducts (spent liqur). The syngas prduced thrugh gasificatin f the bimass feedstcks can be used t replace fssil fuel, prduce steam and electricity r used as a feedstck fr a dwnstream prcess t prduce renewable fuel and chemicals. Such prducts include Fisher Trpsch liquid fuels and waxes, methanl, ethanl, acetic acid and ther bichemicals A PHASED APPROACH TO IMPLEMENATION OF THE INTEGRATED FOREST BIOREFINERY The fllwing is ne prpsed path fr cnverting an existing pulp and paper mill t a fully integrated birefinery - carbn neutral and energy independent - prducing a number f value-added prducts as well as traditinal paper prducts. THE CURRENT MILL Prvided belw is a simple blck flw diagram f a pulp and paper mill. Fr illustrative purpses we have established an energy and mass balance fr a typical integrated paper mill. It is an average mill prducing 1,000 TPD f finished prduct. This mill uses as its fiber feedstck wd chips that are prduced at wd prducts mills and ff site chip mills. It uses steam, electricity, and chemicals t cnvert the wd chips t cellulse and the cellulse t paper prducts. This mill prvides fr a prtin f energy requirements by burning spent liqur and wdy residual bimass, but it als imprts bth natural gas and electricity. The natural gas is burned in a biler t prduce additinal prcess steam and in a lime kiln as part f its chemical recvery prcess. INTEGRATED FOREST BIOREFINERY-PHASE ONE Integrated Frest Birefinery-Phase One A Bimass t Syngas t Gas-t-Liquids (GTL) Plant integrated int the Pulp and Paper Mill 2

3 The implementatin f Phase One prvides the pprtunity t; Leverage the existing mill infrastructure by installing a new manufacturing prcess in a way that minimizes risk t the pulp and paper mill, Take advantage f available bimass resurces currently unused, and Increase the mill prduct mix by prducing fuels and chemicals The first phase f birefinery includes the installatin f a bimass t syngas t gas-t-liquids plant at the paper mill which is represented by the blue bxes in the blck flw diagram shwn abve. The feedstck fr this birefinery is bimass including bth frest and agricultural residuals. The bimass is dried and sized prir t gasificatin. The bimass is fed int the fluidized bed steam refrmer thrugh a screw feed system and is gasified t prduce synthesis gas with the crrect hydrgen t carbn rati required fr the gas t liquids plant. The synthesis gas then ges thrugh a cnventinal heat recvery and gas clean-up train prir t the gas-t-liquids plant. The gas-t-liquids plant technlgy we have chsen fr this example is the Fischer-Trpsch (FT) prcess, a very mature and knwn technlgy that prduces drp in hydrcarbn fuels with ready markets. The syngas is cmpressed and fed int the FT prcess, which is a catalytic prcess using a slurry bed reactr. In the reactr the hydrgen and the carbn mnxide in the synthesis gas cmes int cntact, under pressure and temperature, with the catalyst t frm straight chain hydrcarbn mlecules that range frm very light gases t heavy waxes. The hydrcarbns are remved frm the reactr vessel, distilled t fractins that include gasline, naphtha, diesel, and waxes, and stred prir t shipment t a refinery fr further prcessing, distributin and sale. The birefinery is exthermic, meaning it gives ff energy as it makes the FT hydrcarbn liquids. The exthermic heat frm the FT prcess has t be remved, resulting in the manufacture f prcess steam and ht water that can be used by the paper mill replacing steam and ht water made thrugh the burning f natural gas. The FT gas-t-liquids prcess als releases a tail gas that is made up f unreacted synthesis gas and light, nn-cndensable hydrcarbn gases. In a cnventinal FT plant this tail gas is flared r recycled at additinal capital cst. When integrated int the paper mill this tail gas is used t replace natural gas and ther fuels used t make paper. This paper mill uses 200,000 pph f steam prduced frm natural gas and burns natural gas in its lime kiln t calcine lime. The exthermic heat and energy frm the birefinery was sized t match the heat and energy sink prvided by the paper mill. In ther wrds, the waste energy frm the birefinery is enugh t prduce 200,000 pph f steam and replace 90 MMBtu per hur f natural gas with tail gas in the lime kiln. The input t this phase ne birefinery is abut 880,000 dry tns per year f bimass. Its utputs are the 200,000 pph f steam used fr paper making and 90 mm Btu per hur f tail gas fr the lime kiln. The birefinery als prduces abut 1,000,000 barrels per year f FT straight chain hydrcarbn liquids that can be taken by any petrleum refinery fr direct blending r manufacture f refined petrleum liquids. 1,000,000 barrels per year is 42,000,000 gallns per year. The Btu value f FT liquids is 135,000 Btu s per galln cmpared t 76,000 Btu s per galln fr ethanl. S the ethanl equivalent prductin f the birefinery is 74,600,000 gallns per year. INTEGRATED FOREST BIOREFINERY-PHASE ONE 3

4 In the example shwn abve fr every 100 Btus f bimass fed t the birefinery, 44 Btus f FT liquids are prduced. 37 Btus f exthermic heat and tail gas frm the gas-t-liquids plant are used by the paper mill. S very high thermal efficiencies are pssible - as high as 81%. This synergistic integratin f a paper mill, a bimass t syngas prcess, and a gas-t-liquids plant prducing carbn neutral transprtatin fuels is the paradigm f the future. The ecnmics f this paradigm are cmpelling. INTEGRATED FOREST BIOREFINERY-PHASE TWO Replacing the Tmlinsn Recvery Biler with Spent Liqur Gasificatin Implementatin f Phase tw prvides the pprtunity t utilize mre available bimass plus the black liqur frm the pulp mill t make significantly mre fuels and perate the mill. In a sense this phase makes 1plus equal 3. The secnd phase f the integrated frest birefinery at this mill eliminates the chemical recvery biler which burns black liqur frm the pulp mill t prduce steam and electricity, and recver the cking chemicals fr re-use. It is an ld, unsafe, inefficient technlgy. In Phase Tw, the birefinery is increased in size t prcess the rganics in the black liqur t syngas and t recver the cking chemicals fr reuse by the pulp mill. The syngas frm the black liqur is cleaned up and fed t the gas-t-liquids plant t prduce mre transprtatin fuels. With the chemical recvery biler gne, the steam it was generating fr the paper mill is gne as well, increasing the prcess steam need by the paper mill frm the birefinery t 500,000 pph. T match this heat sink abut 1,500,000 dry tns per year f frest and agricultural residual bimass is fed t the birefinery, which nw prduces 2,200,000 barrels per year f carbn neutral transprtatin fuels. This is 164,000,000 gallns per year n an ethanl equivalent basis. With the installatin f Phase Tw f the birefinery, the mill is fssil fuel and purchased electricity independent. It is a carbn neutral manufacturing site prducing paper prducts and transprtatin fuels. 4

5 THERMOCHEMICAL BIOREFINERIES IN DEVELOPMENT FLAMBEAU RIVER BIOFUELS This thermchemical birefinery is being sited at Flambeau River Papers, Park Falls Wiscnsin pulp and paper mill. The prject has been awarded a $30 millin grant frm the Department f Energy as a demnstratin birefinery. The birefinery will prcess 1000 dtpd f wdy bimass t prduce ~19 millin gallns per year f FT liquids and waxes 5.3 MW f green electricity Steam and ht water exprted t the paper mill, shutting dwn 2 natural gas bilers. The key prcess blcks are bimass preparatin, bimass gasificatin, syngas clean-up, catalytic cnversin f the syngas t FT liquids, and steam and electricity generatin. The apprpriatin grade scpe and estimate is underway and pilt plant testing using nrthern Wiscnsin bimass has been cmpleted. NEWPAGE CORP; PROJECT INDEPENDENCE, The endthermic hst fr this thermchemical birefinery is the NewPage Crp pulp and paper mill at Wiscnsin Rapids Wiscnsin. The prject has been awarded a $30 millin grant frm the Department f Energy as a demnstratin birefinery. The birefinery will prcess 500 dtpd f wdy bimass t prduce 5

6 ~ millin gallns per year f FT liquids and waxes Up t92 MMBtu s hur f tail gas fr fssil fuel replacement in the pulp mill lime kiln Steam and ht water t be used by the mill t replace steam and ht water currently being prduced by burning cal. The key prcess blcks are bimass preparatin, bimass gasificatin, syngas clean-up, catalytic cnversin f the syngas t FT liquids, tail gas generatin fr the lime kiln, and steam and ht water generatin fr the mill. The apprpriatin scpe and estimate and pilt plant testing are cmplete. Crprate apprvals are underway. THERMOCHEMICAL BIOREFINERY PROCESS DEMONSTRATION UNIT A bimass gasificatin prcess demnstratin unit (PDU) has been cnstructed at at Durham NC and is currently peratinal. The PDU is capable f prcessing slid bimasses and black liqur. The prcess scpe f the PDU includes Bimass feed Bimass gasificatin Primary gas clean-up Syngas cmpressin and secndary gas clean-up FT liquids prductin The prcess is capable f prviding high value, clean syngas t essentially any dwnstream catalytic prcess, syngas fermentatin prcess, f gas turbine. 6

7 Bimass Feed System The Bimass feed system is designed t handle a wide range f bimasses 230 cubic feet day bin with live bttm Weigh screw feed t first stage pistn 3- Stage hydraulic pistn system t feed bimass while preventing back flw f gasifier gases. Lump breaker High speed bimass injectin auger Steam refrmer and carbn trim cell The steam refrmer and carbn trim cell are a prprietary tw stage gasificatin system capable f prcessing 4 tns per day n a dry basis Steam refrmer Indirectly heated steam refrmer Superheated steam fluidizing media Engineered bed materials Carbn trim cell Cnversin f carry ver char t trim the H2:CO ratin Fluidized with steam and xygen Syngas Clean-up The syngas clean-up train is sized t prcess a 10% slipstream f the syngas prduced frm the gasificatin system and includes the fllwing: Primary gas clean-up HRSG t cl the syngas t ~ 500 degrees F Venturi scrubber fr remval f particulate Gas cler fr cndensatin f residual steam Prprietary slvent extractin f tars Scrubber fr remval f any sulfur cmpunds Secndary gas clean-up Syngas cmpressr t take the syngas frm 25 psig t 440 psig required fr the GTL system Scrubbers t remve HCN and NH3 7

8 Packed guard bed trace H2S and COS Particulate Filters Fischer Trpsch Reactr The FT system is based n Emerging Fuels Technlgy fixed bed technlgy Three tube FT reactr with cbalt based catalyst Tube length identical t cmmercial scale reactr t facilitate scale-up Frms heavy fractin (HFTL), medium fractin (MTFL) and light fractin (LFTL) Exthermic heat is remved via steam generated in reactr cling jacket PDU STATUS The prcess demnstratin unit has run ver 4000 hurs cmbined gasifier and bimass feed systems. It has perated ver 1000 hurs thrugh gas clean-up and FT liquids prductin. The prcess cnsistently prduces a high quality syngas n a sustained basis fr feed t the FT reactr. The PDU prduces high quality FT liquids and waxes. Mass and energy balances created frm the pilt plant runs are the basis fr scaling bth the Flambeau River Bifuels and NewPage birefinery prjects. FUTURE SCHEDULE FOR THE PROCESS DEMONSTRATION UNIT CLIENT ONE Alternate wdy bimass pilt trials; first quarter 1020 CLIENT TWO Sweet srghum pilt trial; first quarter

9 Switch grass pilt trial; first quarter 2010 CLIENT THREE Refuse derived fuel (RDF) bench tests; first quarter 2010 RDF feeder test; first quarter 2010 RDF pilt trial; all f secnd quarter 2010 BIOREFINERIES- OUR BIO-FUTURE Industry leaders, such as Flambeau River Bifuels and NewPage Crp, investrs, plicy-makers and thers nw understand the vital rle t be played by birefineries as we mve frm a fssil fuel-based energy ecnmy tward a bi-based ne. When prperly lcated and perated, the ptential f an integrated frest birefinery t be huge: a very attractive and synergistic business pprtunity fr bth the c-lcated pulp and paper mill and fr the birefinery itself. Birefineries are a key pathway t ur Bi-future, displacing fssil fuels and supplying clean, renewable and carbn neutral energy. Birefineries fit very well at pulp and paper mills because f their inherent ability t gather and prcess bimass and create energy frm bimass. The thermchemical birefinery prvides excellent thermal integratin with the hst site, syngas ptinality, and excellent ecnmics. 9