October 9, 2013 Biological Solutions Forum Meeting Our GHG Goals Opportunities for Biomass Use in Cofiring and Beyond Jamie Stephen, PhD Managing Director, TorchLight Bioresources Fellow, Queen s Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy Warren Mabee, PhD Canada Research Chair Renewable Energy Development and Implementation Executive Director, Queen s Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy Heather MacLean, PhD Professor, Civil Engineering, University of Toronto Queen s Institute for Energy & Environmental Policy 1
AI Bio Solutions Report & Alberta Emissions Ammonia and and Lime Non-integrated gas and Paper Other (nitrogen, oxygen) waste, coke, lumber, LAO 2
Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions Report Potential GHG reductions from biomass switching Focus on non-energy industrial emitters >50,000 t CO 2 e Quantify potential reductions No economic analysis; general feasibility Three types of switching Input Energy Product 14 product categories Describe product Identify production facilities Determine switching opportunities Quantify potential reductions 3
Non-Energy Industrial Emitters in AB, 2009 Total: Approximately 13.5 Mt 4
Product Simplest alkene, largest volume industrial chemical Produced from NG co-products (NG liquids), naphtha Basic building block for many plastics; HDPE, LDPE Facilities AB a hub of production Joffre, Prentiss, Fort SK 13 ethylene & ethylene derivative facilities in AB Polyethylene, ethylene gycol, ethylene dicholoride 9 Mt capacity (incl. derivatives) 5
Switching Product ethanol dehydration, methanol-to-olefins olysis of cellulose to ethylene glycol GHG Reductions Not GHG attractive to use corn ethanol; AB wheat ok MTO route more attractive, especially from waste or harvest residues 6
Ammonia & Product NH 3 used to produce urea and ammonium nitrate NG used to produce H 2 ; Haber-Bosch: N 2 + H 2 Facilities 7 facilities in AB Agrium, Canadian s 2 Mt ammonia; 2.6 Mt urea 0.5 Mt ammonium nitrate (Orica, explosives) 7
Ammonia & Switching Input alternative source of H 2 Gasification (CO & H 2 ) and anaerobic digestion (CH 4 ) Product organic fertilizers (slow release) GHG Reductions 30% of AB non-energy industrial emissions 80-90% reduction for syngas-sourced H 2 Organic fertilizer benefit site specific 8
& Lime Product is most widely used construction material Hydraulic retains structural integrity when wet (SiO 2 ) Non-hydraulic lime (CaO) needs dry conditions Facilities 2 Portland cement facilities; 1 lime facility 3.2 Mt cement; 240,000 t lime Lafarge (Exshaw), Lehigh (Edmonton); Graymount 9
& Lime Switching Fuel biomass for coal, NG, coke Product use wood instead of cement Multistory buildings; Cross-laminated timber GHG Reductions Up to 90% reduction in non-process emissions (55%) Product 95%+ reduction when using wood 10
(H 2 ) Product Produced from natural gas (CH 4 + 2H 2 O -> CO 2 + 4 H 2 ) Steam reforming Primary uses: petrochemicals & fertilizer Facilities Air Products operates 2 plants in Edmonton H 2 used for upgrading & refining Other steam reforming facilities in AB (not included, as integrated with upgraders/refineries) 11
(H 2 ) Switching Product gasification of biomass (CO & H 2 ) Input bio-based methane Anaerobic digestion or methanation of syngas GHG Reductions 10% (AD of corn) to 90% (gasification) reduction 12
and Paper Product Kraft pulp sulphate process; high quality paper Power boilers & Recovery (black liquor) boilers Bleached chemi-thermo mechanical pulp (BCTMP) Mechanical pulp typically used for newspaper, etc. Facilities 4 Kraft mills; 1 BCTMP mill BCTMP: high e- consumption; consumes NG for heat Kraft has high heat demand (black liquor) Residues (e.g., hog fuel) & NG used for CHP 13
and Paper Switching Energy need high energy gas/fuel to replace NG Supplementary to assist with wood waste use BCTMP could switch to residues GHG Reductions 80%+ reduction from NG when using wood residues 14
N 2, O 2, etc. Product Separated and purified using cryogenic air separation N 2 : relatively inert gas; used in ultra-cold applications O 2 : reactive gas, used as pure replacement for air Facilities One Air Liquide plant in Scotford Refining Complex Electricity required for cooling & compression 80 MWe NG co-generation facility = emissions 15
N 2, O 2, etc. Switching Electricity out of scope of project AD or methanation of syngas fuel for co-firing GHG Reductions 50-80% reduction in GHG emissions for biomethane Other sources of electricity biopower 16
Product Octane enhancer to reduce knocking in engines Considered additive, not fuel, for sake of report N-butane->Isobutane->isobutylene->isooctane Facilities 1 facility Alberta Envirofuels (JV Neste/Chevron) 560,000 t isooctane per year Feedstock is butane from NG production 17
Switching Product other octane enhancers, namely ethanol Product ETBE produced from ethanol & isobutylene Could be considered Input switching GHG Reductions ~45% reduction for Alberta wheat ethanol 18
Seven additional products/industries 7.5% of non-energy industrial emissions Waste/landfills Calcined coke Lumber & MDF Linear alpha olefins Magnesium oxide Steel Sugar (beet processing) Opportunities dominated by fuel switching Subsitute NG used in lumber drying, MDF production, sugar beet processing Biomass co-firing in MgO kilns Product switching biochar use in steel, Biochar (carbon) use in steel production Blending with calcined coke for anodes 19
Total AB GHG emissions in 2009 = 113 Mt Industries here represent 12% of total Many opportunities for switching involve replacing NG Likely to be economically challenging Six best options for reducing GHGs: Intensive wood use in construction (e.g., CLT) Biomethane for NG substitution Co-firing in cement and MgO kilns Biomass gasification for methanol production (MTO) Biomass gasification for H 2 production (, etc.) Wheat-based ethanol production (octane, ethylene) 20
October 9, 2013 Biological Solutions Forum Meeting Our GHG Goals Thank you! Opportunities for Biomass Use in Cofiring and Beyond Jamie Stephen, PhD jstephen@tlbio.com www.torchlightbioresources.com Warren Mabee, PhD warren.mabee@queensu.ca www.qieep.ca Heather MacLean, PhD Heatherl.maclean@utoronto.ca Queen s Institute for Energy & Environmental Policy 21