Fischer Tropsch Diesel Production Through Black Liquor GasificationChelsey MacNeill2006 SAE WISE Intern

Presentation OverviewBackgroundIssue DefinitionFischer Tropsch and Black LiquorWhat are they?ImpactPulp &PaperTransportationCurrent and Future R&D SourcesConclusions

BackgroundAgenda 2020 Created in 1994 with the goal to address emissions and energy consumption within the pulp and paper industry

Redefined itself as a partnership among several government agencies, the forest products industry, and academia to develop biofuels technologies

June 2006- AF&PA Released Forest Products Industry Technology Roadmap Introduces a new business model based on seven technology platformsFT fuels production is a part of the Advancing the Integrated Forest Product Biorefinery (IFPB) platform

Issue DefinitionLow efficiencyHigh pollutionStrict standardsFinite energy sourceHigh dependence on foreign oil

Increased efficiencyReduced emissionsAdvanced PropertiesRenewableHomegrownWhats Wrong?FT through BLG offersThat was easy you can go home now

Issue DefinitionHigh Risk Undeveloped Technology$$$FT BTL standardization

Not so fast there is a catch

Fischer Tropsch ProcessDiscovered by two German scientists in 1925 in order to produce liquid fuel from coal feedstock

A process in which a synthesis gas (i.e. syngas) consisting of hydrogen and carbon monoxide is reacted with a cobalt catalyst under certain pressures and temperatures to produce a liquid distillate

The feedstock which is referred to as a syngas can come from coal, methane or gasified biomass such as gasified black liquor

Black Liquor Gasification

Black Liquor is a pulping residue left over after the removal of cellulose and pulping chemicals for papermakingToday, Black Liquor is inefficiently burned in boilers to produce electricity

But if Black Liquor were gasified

Black Liquor GasificationPossible Product Streams

ProductsPulp & Paper IndustryPotential products from a ForestBiorefinery Model Mill1.1 million barrels FT liquid fuel19 million gallons ethanol6 million gallons of acetic acidAdditional electricity capacity (Annual Basis)

Benefits Pulp & PaperYearly quantified benefits of IFPB:$9 million new revenue for pulp and paper industry175 million barrels of oil per year in energy savings153 million tons of reduced CO2165,000 new jobs in rural America

ChallengesPartners are needed to minimize financial and technical risk. No one has attempted to marry biomass gasifiers to a gas-to-liquid plant and integrate both units with a pulp mill The project would be large and technically complicated, relying on multidisciplinary technological breakthroughsmore efficient and affordable enzymes are needed for cellulose extraction

ImpactsDiesel IndustryYou are what you eatApplies to cars as well

Vehicle emissions standards (set by E.P.A) must be supported by the right market fuels Advanced emission control systems require advanced fuels

Fuel Properties Comparisonppm ppm N/A 103 BTU/lb

What this means to an engineINSulphurAromaticsLow CetaneLower HV

OUTPM, NOx trapsSootCO2Less EnergyBy reducing sulphur and aromatic content you eliminate the mechanisms to create harmful emissions

Who Cares?Effect on Original Equipment ManufacturersImmediate reduction in emissions without the wait for fleet turn overWithout advanced fuels engine control strategies are limitedBTL fuels are compatible with current infrastructure and could be delivered immediately

Implementation ConcernsStandardizationASTM D 975ASTM D 6751LubricityCompatibility of seal materialsA lot of unknownsFurther testing in needed to answer technical questions

Biomass Energy PolicyR&D FundingFarm Bill of 2002

Farm Bill of 2007

Energy Policy Act of 2005

Farm Bill 0f 2002

1st Farm Bill to contain an energy titleRenewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (Sec. 9006)Established competitive grant programs to support R&D of biorefineriesCut then restoredProvides roughly $20 MM/year

Farm Bill of 2007

EPACT 2005Integrated Biorefinery Demonstration ProjectsAuthorized $100 MM FY 07, $125 FY 08Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000$142 million has been awarded for 62 projectsAlso funded through Farm BillRegional Biomass Energy ProgramsReceived NO FY 06 fundingWas not reauthorized in EPACT 2005

RecommendationsCongressMake a long term commitment to clean, renewable alternatives by:

Reauthorizing the Energy Title of the 2007 Farm Bill

Continuing to fund Biomass R&D Act of 2000

Creating of National Bioenergy Trust Fund

Considering funding the Regional Biomass programs through Fuel Choices for American Security Act

RecommendationsAgenda 2020Create a Committee whose goals would be:Lobby CongressMost biofuels legislation are directed towards corn ethanol and biodiesel because they have worked towards recognition

Work towards ASTM standardizationNew Standard for FT fuels independent of feedstock or as a biodiesel Help organize and prepare applications to federal grants to obtain funding for projects within the pulp and paper industry

Conclusions Role in Energy PolicyFully developed and commercialized, IFPB technologies have the potential for:Diversified, more secure national energy supplySignificant rural economic developmentGeographically distributed supply sourceReduced environmental impactsImproved energy efficiencies These will not be met without economic support for R&D from the government

Questions

U.S DOE

AF&PAAcademia

USDA

Should agenda 2020 and DOE go first?As you can see here the possible products streams are significant. The product stream that the IFPB is focused on as Phase I is Fischer-Tropsch Diesel Fuels and then in the future producing ethanol as Phase II