1 Gasification Technologies for Fuel Production Tim Eggeman, Ph.D., P.E. June 29, 2009 Third Meeting of the International Sugarcane Biomass Utilization Consortium Shandrani Resort & Spa, Mauritius

2 Gasification Can Be: “Simple” WWII Automobile “Complex” SASOL

3 Fuel Gas Applications Are Simplest Central Minnesota Ethanol Cooperative 15 Million gal/yr Corn Dry Mill $15 Million Gasifier Retrofit

4 Another Fuel Gas Application Retrofit a Pulverized Coal Boiler to Allow Co-firing Biomass Lahti, Finland 50 MW th

5 Why are Fuel Gas Applications “Simple”? Atmospheric Pressure Operation Air Blown: –Low Calorific Gas w/ N 2 is OK Low Temperature –High Make of Methane and Tars is OK –Dry Ash…generally OK Moving Bed is Common

6 Gasifier Flow Patterns c) Entrained Flow a) Moving Bedb) Fluidized Beds

7 Fuel Capacity Entrained Flow

8 BIGCC Are More Complex Värnamo, Sweden 18 MW th Input as Wood Gasifier: Circulating Fluid Bed, Air Blown, 18 bar, °C

9 Repotec Gasifier CONFIDENTIAL

10 Repotec – Güssing 8 MW th Year Gasifier Gas Engine Operating Hours Per Year CONFIDENTIAL

11 Not All Projects are Successful Many Fail to Get Funding –SIGAME (Eucalyptus BIGCC in Brazil) Technical and Management Problems Paia, Hawai’i Bagasse BIGCC Had Problems with Bagasse Supply/Feed

12 Feedstock Properties Herbaceous Biomass Woody Biomass Illinois No. 6 Coal Ultimate Analysis C: 45% O: 40% C: 50% O: 40% C: 80% C: 10% Proximate Analysis Moisture: 15% Volatile C: 80% Fixed C: 15% Moisture: 50% Volatile C: 80% Fixed C: 15% Moisture: 11% Volatile C: 45% Fixed C: 45% Heating Value, MJ/Kg (dry) Ash MineralsSi, KSi, K, Ca, MgSi, Al, Fe, Ca Ash Properties T Initial Deformation, °C T Fluid, °C

13 Ash Properties T Initial Deformation T Fluid Sticky Ash Regime Forbidden Temperature Range Dry Ash Gasifiers Agglomerating Gasifiers Slagging Gasifiers Raw Gas Quenching Instantaneous Feed Heating Slagging Operations T 250

14 Ash Properties a) Coal Ash From: b) Biomass Ash From: Miles et. al. (1996)

15 Thermodynamics Effect of Pressure at T = 1000 °CEffect of Temperature at P = 30 Bar

16 Fuel Footprint a) Iso-lines of Cold Gas Efficiency b) Iso-lines of Syngas (H 2 +CO) Yield

17 Chemicals Tail Gas (Heat, Steam/Power) Synthesis Gas Tar Reforming Syngas Process Gasification for Chemicals is Most Complex Biomass Producer Gas (Heat, Steam/Power) Low Temperature Gasification ~800°C High Temperature Gasification ~1300°C Feed Conditioning Pyrolysis Torrefaction Grinding

18 Biomass to Liquids (BTL) Gasification: Fischer-Tropsch: Distribution of Products Means Additional Hydrotreating Is Needed

19 Choren Freiberg Site Blue Stripe Building (Back) – Alpha Plant Red Stripe Building (Center) – Beta Plant Open Space (Center Left) – Future Shell FT Plant Installation of Entrained Flow Gasifier, Beta Plant

20 Choren

21 Mixed Alcohol Synthesis Chemistry: Shift Lowers H 2 :CO ~ 1 Products Follow Flory Distribution Requires High Pressures

22 Range Fuels Demonstration Plant in Soperton, GA in Planning

23 Syngas Fermentation Same Chemistry as Mixed Alcohol Synthesis!

24 Coskata Working With AlterNRG for Plasma Gasification

25 ZeaChem Technology 25 Hydrogen Residue to Gasifier Sales Biomass: Hardwood Softwood Switch Grass Corn Stover Ethanol Sales Ethyl Acetate Sugar Solution Acetic Acid ZeaChem’s Core Technology

26 Theoretical Yields Biochemical Only Yield: gal(neat)/BDT Biochemical Processing 100 Balance Thermochemical Only Yield: 112 gal(neat)/BDT Balance 30 Mixed Alcohol Synthesis Thermochemical Processing Balance 14 Syngas 70 Values in Italics Indicate Chemical Energy Flow Normalized to Biomass = 100 Yield assumes 200 gal(neat)/BDT for 100% Chemical Efficiency Syngas Fermentation Yield: 112 gal(neat)/BDT Thermochemical Processing Biochemical Processing Balance 30 Balance 14 Syngas 70 ZeaChem Hybrid Yield: 156 gal(neat)/BDT Thermochemical Processing Biochemical Processing Hydrogenolysis Balance 4 Residue 8 Balance 18 Ester 52 H 2 30

27 Recommendations for ISBUC Have Well-Defined Scope –Start Simple then Build Complexity –Need a Strong Operating Partner with Form a High-Level Business Case Early –Incremental Economics for Addition of a BIGCC to a “Typical” Mill –Refine as Progress is Made Project Plan –Sources of Funds –Location –Schedule

28 Potassium Content

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