Techno-Economic Assessment of Processes that produce Jet Fuel from

Plant-Derived Sources

by Wim Diederichs

Supervisor: Dr. JF Gorgens

Department of Process Engineering, Stellenbosch University

Research problem

Potential routes, feedstock and product

Objectives

Proposed Processes

Method

Main Outcomes

High consumption of Jet fuel

Conventional Jet Fuel - high GHG emissions

Non-fossil processes - low GHG emissions

Closed carbon-cycle

Large number of potential feedstocks

Large number of potential processes

Unsure what is the best option

Need to determine the best option

Je

t F

ue

l

Used cooking oil

Tallow

MSW

Starches

Sugar from plants

Algae

Extr

acti

on

Oil Extraction

Filtration & Neutralization

Sep

arat

ion

Rendering

Fermentation

Ketones to Alcohols

Gasification & Reforming Fischer-Tropsch & Fractionation

Lipids

Bio-char

Hydro-carbons

Organic Wastes

Organic Acids

Syngas

Bio-oil

Syngas

Gasification

Acid Hydrolysis

Hydrogenation, Deoxygenation & Fractionation

Fast Pyrolysis

Liquefaction

Enzymatic Hydrolysis

Fermentation

Fermentation to Hydrocarbons

Extraction & Fermentation

Fermentation

Fermentation to Lipids/FFA

Cat

alyt

ic c

on

vers

ion

&

Hyd

rotr

eatm

ent

Dehydration Oligomerization Hydro-processing

Hydrotreatment/ Hydrocracking

Catalytic Hydrothermolysis

Lipid conversion

Biochemical conversion

Thermochemical conversion

Flue gas CO, CO,H2

FFA Hydrotreatment/ Hydrocracking

Alcohols

Sugars

Catalytic conversion

Hydrolysis Catalytic- and Hydro-processing Hemicellulose + Cellulose

Oil from plants

Alcohol(s)

Lignocellulose

1G

1G

2G

Cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin

Source

Wastes

Forest products

Energy crops

Lignin

Cellulose

Hemi-cellulose

Mixture of hydrocarbons

“Drop-in” jet fuel

ASTM approval process

HEFA process

GFT process

0

5

10

15

20

25

6 8 10 12 14 16 18

Mas

s %

Carbon number

Jet fuel carbon distribution

Main Objective:

Compare lignocellulose to jet fuel processes

Minor Objectives:

Compare plant-derived jet fuel production processes

Commercial feasibility of lignocellulose to jet fuel processes

Most mature lignocellulose to jet fuel processes:

Lignocellulose Gasification & Reforming Fischer-Tropsch

Hydrogenation, Deoxygenation & Hydro-cracking

Fast Pyrolysis

Dehydration, Oligomerization & Hydro-processing

Ethanol

Pretreatment, Hydrolysis & Fermentation

Jet Fuel Syngas

Bio-oil

Mature non-lignocellulose to jet fuel processes:

Hydro-treatment & Hydrocracking

Dehydration, Oligomerization & Hydro-processing

Ethanol Fermentation

Jet Fuel

Sugarcane

Vegetable oil

Novel lignocellulose to jet fuel processes:

Lignocellulose

Catalytic-processing, Hydro-processing & Fractionation

Hydrolysis

Dehydration, Oligomerization, & Hydro-processing

Butanol

Jet Fuel

Alcohols

Catalytic syngas conversion

Ethanol Syngas Fermentation

Hydro-treatment, Hydrocracking

Hydrocarbons

Lipids

FFA Hydrolysis & Fermentation

Hemi-cellulose & Cellulose

Novel lignocellulose to jet fuel processes:

Lignocellulose

Catalytic-processing, Hydro-processing & Fractionation

Hydrolysis

Dehydration, Oligomerization, & Hydro-processing

Butanol

Jet Fuel

Alcohols

Catalytic syngas conversion

Ethanol Syngas Fermentation

Hydro-treatment, Hydrocracking

Hydrocarbons

Lipids

FFA Hydrolysis & Fermentation

Hemi-cellulose & Cellulose

High-level techno-economic assessment

Process Flow Diagrams

Rigorous Material & Energy Balances (ASPEN)

Capital & Project Cost Estimation

Published experimental data

Literature search on process configurations

Pinch-Analysis and Heat Integration Economic Sensitivity

Analysis

Literature for Capital and

Operating costs

Energy efficiency

GHG emissions

Understanding of jet fuel production processes

Mass- and energy-balances for the processes

Comparative techno-economic analysis of

processes

Sensitivity analysis of economics

GHG emissions - jet fuel production processes

CRSES