NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
Hawaii HCEI/DBEDT Biomass/ Biofuels Training Program
John Ashworth and Scott Turn April 10, 2012
Biomass Conversion Opportunities & Options
Transportation Fuels
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Ethanol is the Most Mature Biofuel Technology
U.S. Biomass Resource Assessment
Baseline Case
High Yield Case
Over 1 billion tons of biomass could be available annually in the future at $60/dry ton or less
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Significance of the “Billion Ton” Scenario
Billion Barrel of Oil Equivalents
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Primary Biomass Conversion Routes to Liquid Fuels
Transformation through Intermediates (sugars)
“Biochemical conversion”
“Thermochemical conversion”
Gasification (reduction to CO, H2) and Pyrolysis
Biomass Feedstocks
Lignocellulosic Biomass (wood, agri, waste, grasses, etc.)
Sugar/Starch Crops (corn, sugar cane, etc.)
Natural Oils (plants, algae)
Ag residues, (stover, bagasse)
Intermediates
Syn Gas
Bio-Oils
Lignin
Sugars
Gasification
Pyrolysis & Liquefaction
Hydrolysis
* Blending Products
Transportation Fuels Ethanol &
Mixed Alcohols
Diesel*
Methanol
Gasoline*
Diesel*
Gasoline* & Diesel*
Diesel*
Gasoline*
Hydrogen
Ethanol, Butanol, Hydrocarbons
Biodiesel
Green diesel
Catalytic synthesis
FT synthesis
MeOH synthesis
HydroCracking/Treating
APP
Catalytic pyrolysis
APR
Fermentation
Catalytic upgrading
MTG
Transesterification
Hydrodeoxygenation
Fermentation
Biofuels Transportation Options
7
Transportation Fuels –
Biochemical Routes
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Biomass Feedstocks
Lignocellulosic Biomass (wood, agri, waste, grasses, etc.)
Sugar/Starch Crops (corn, sugar cane, etc.)
Natural Oils (plants, algae)
Ag residues, (stover, bagasse)
Intermediates
Syn Gas
Bio-Oils
Lignin
Sugars
Gasification
Pyrolysis & Liquefaction
Hydrolysis
* Blending Products
Transportation Fuels Ethanol &
Mixed Alcohols
Diesel*
Methanol
Gasoline*
Diesel*
Gasoline* & Diesel*
Diesel*
Gasoline*
Hydrogen
Ethanol, Butanol, Hydrocarbons
Biodiesel
Green diesel
Catalytic synthesis
FT synthesis
MeOH synthesis
HydroCracking/Treating
APP
Catalytic pyrolysis
APR
Fermentation
Catalytic upgrading
MTG
Transesterification
Hydrodeoxygenation
Fermentation
Biofuels Transportation Options
9
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Near-Term Focus on Ethanol
Ethanol – as a blending agent from either grain or cellulosic material from Agriculture and/or Forestry industry
Biodiesel – Transesterified vegetable oils blended with diesel Green Diesel/Gasoline – fats, waste oils, or virgin oils blended
with crude oil as a feedstock for making low-sulfur diesel/gasoline in petroleum refinery
Pyrolysis Liquids – as a boiler fuel or an alternative feedstock to petroleum refinery or gasification facility; also a future source of aromatics and/or phenols
Synthesis Gas – for conversion to Fischer Tropsch liquids, MeOH/DME, or mixed alcohols
Algae – as alternative source of triglycerides for biodiesel or green diesel
Hydrocarbons – from hydrogenation of carbohydrates or lignin Long Term
Near Term
NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY Innovation for Our Energy Future
Current Biofuels Status Biodiesel – 173 Companies; 1.1 billion gallons of production (2011), 2.69 billion gallons/yr capacity Corn ethanol2
• 209 commercial plants operating • 13.9 billion gal/yr. production (2011) • Additional 1-2 billion gal/yr shut-in, planned or
under construction Cellulosic ethanol (current technology)
• Projected commercial cost ~$2.50 /gallon
Updated January 2012 Sources: 1- National Biodiesel Board, 2 - Renewable Fuels Association, all other information based on DOE and USDA sources
NREL Research Thrusts • The biorefinery and cellulosic ethanol • Solutions to under-utilized waste residues • Energy crops
Key DOE Goals • 2012 goal: cellulosic ethanol $2.15/ETOH gallon • 2022 goal: 36B gal Renewable Fuel; 21B gal “Advanced Renewable
Fuel”– 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act • 2030 goal: 60 billion gal ethanol (30% of 2004 gasoline)
11
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
The Problem Corn Prices and Ethanol Prices are Decoupled – the Example of 2006
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$3.50
$4.00
Jan
FebMarc
hApr
ilMay
Ju
ne Ju
lyAug
Sept
Oct Nov Dec
($/g
allo
n or
$/b
ushe
l)
Corn Prices Ethanol Production Cost (Nat Gas $4)Ethanol Production Cost (Nat Gas $7) Gasoline Rack PriceEthanol Contract Prices
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
We Must Transition to Cellulosic Biomass
Today & Near Term
Corn Ethanol
Biochemical Conversion
Existing Distribution
Infrastructure
2012 and Beyond
Agricultural residues,
energy crops, natural oils,
wood/forestry resources
Cellulosic Ethanol Advanced
Biochemical Conversion
and
Thermochemical Conversion
Expanded, Advanced
Distribution Infrastructure
Cellulosic ethanol will help meet future biofuels demand
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Biomass Fractionation in Pretreatment
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Pretreatment
• Converts hemicellulose to fermentable sugars
• Makes cellulose susceptible to enzymatic hydrolysis
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Conversion of Biomass
100 g raw solids (dry) feedstock
27 g residue solids (dry)
lignin co-product
60 g pretreated solids (dry)
cellulose + lignin
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Enzymatic Hydrolysis Research
NREL worked with Genencor and Novozymes for 4 years • Focusing on enzyme
biochemistry, cost, and specific activity
• Investigating the interaction of biomass pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis
Result • 20-fold reduction in cost
contributions of enzymes
($/gal ethanol)
E1 from A. cellulotiticus CBH1 from T. reesei
$40 million R&D effort cost-shared by the Office of the Biomass Program and the enzyme manufacturers
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Fermentation
Development of Zymomonas
Introduced xylose utilization - 1994
Introduced arabinose utilization - 1995
Combined pentose utilization - 1997
Stabilization by integration - 1999
Further Development in CRADA with DuPont 2002-2007
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2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Min
imum
Eth
anol
Sel
ling
Pric
e (2
007$
per
gal
lon)
Conversion Feedstock
$3.85 $3.64 $3.57
$3.18 $2.77
$2.56 $2.15
$4.27
$5.33
$6.90
$9.16
Bench Scale - Enzymes
Scale Up Pretreatment
Scale Up Saccharification
BC Conversion to Cellulosic Ethanol Historic State of Technology
Significant Cost Reduction of Cellulosic Ethanol Resulting from R&D
Butanol (n, iso)
Industrial Participants: Butamax (DuPont, BP), Tetravitae (now Eastman), Gevo, Cobalt, Butylfuel – Green Biologics, etc
Advantages (compared to ethanol): • Higher energy content, • More compatible with existing infrastructure • Multiple higher-value markets, valuable platform intermediate for fuels (gasoline, jet)
and commodity chemicals Disadvantages / Technical Challenges (in comparison to ethanol): • Toxicity • Yield Demonstrated largely on conventional feedstocks (corn starch, sugar) and
less on biomass-derived sugars
Advanced biofuels from sugar
Starch
Sugar
Aqueous-Phase Reforming
Fermentation with engineered microbes
Sugarcane
Dark Algae Oil
Cellulosics
Fermentation
LS9, Amyris Solazyme
Gasoline
Diesel
Jet
Virent
Gasoline
Diesel
Jet
Biodiesel
Ethanol
Diesel
Benefits •Infrastructure-compatible •Highly controlled fuel properties
Challenges •Feedstock availability •Compatibility with cellulosic sugar •Lower yields (compared to ethanol), higher costs
Transportation Fuels –
Thermochemical Routes
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Biomass Feedstocks
Lignocellulosic Biomass (wood, agri, waste, grasses, etc.)
Sugar/Starch Crops (corn, sugar cane, etc.)
Natural Oils (plants, algae)
Ag residues, (stover, bagasse)
Intermediates
Syn Gas
Bio-Oils
Lignin
Sugars
Gasification
Pyrolysis & Liquefaction
Hydrolysis
* Blending Products
Transportation Fuels Ethanol &
Mixed Alcohols
Diesel*
Methanol
Gasoline*
Diesel*
Gasoline* & Diesel*
Diesel*
Gasoline*
Hydrogen
Ethanol, Butanol, Hydrocarbons
Biodiesel
Green diesel
Catalytic synthesis
FT synthesis
MeOH synthesis
HydroCracking/Treating
APP
Catalytic pyrolysis
APR
Fermentation
Catalytic upgrading
MTG
Transesterification
Hydrodeoxygenation
Fermentation
Biofuels Transportation Thermochemical Options
23
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Other Near-Term Biofuel Technologies
Long Term
Near Term
Ethanol – as a blending agent from either grain or cellulosic material from Agriculture and/or Forestry industry
Biodiesel – Transesterified vegetable oils blended with diesel
Green Diesel/Gasoline – fats, waste oils, or virgin oils blended with crude oil as a feedstock for making low-sulfur diesel/gasoline in petroleum refinery
•Roughly 2 billion gallon per year resource – Market demand is leading to
increased grease collection – Potential for new oil-seed crops or
increased oil content in conventional crops
– Corn oil recovery from ethanol production
– Longer-term, algae may provide a large feedstock resource
•Renewable Fuel Standard mandates 1 billion gallon market in 2012
•More than 1.1 billion gallons produced in U.S. in 2011
Market Status of Biodiesel
Mon
thly
Pro
duct
ion,
Mill
ion
Gal
lons
0
20
40
60
80
100
20012002
20032004
20052006
20072008
20092010
Record volume in May 2011
• Mature ASTM specification eliminates performance problems seen in the past
• 90+% of production volume meets ASTM requirements
– 80% of production today is from BQ-9000 companies – Ensures B100 meets ASTM quality requirements
Performance of Biodiesel
•Modern emission controls largely eliminate fuel effects on emissions
No biodiesel effect on NOx, even for B100 in some tests
•Ongoing research to ensure no effect on catalyst durability
•B20 had impact on fuel economy for this car
2010 VW Jetta – 2.0L TDI, DOC+DPF+LNT, Tier II Bin 5
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Oils, Fats & Greases as Bio-Renewable Petroleum Refinery Feedstocks
• Co-processing of oils and greases with petroleum fractions
• Utilize existing process capacity
• Potential for lower conversion costs (than FAME)
• Higher quality diesel blending component
• G/D flexibility
Catalytic Cracker
Distillate Hydrotreater
Oils and Greases
Green Gasoline & Olefins
Green Diesel
ISBL Petroleum Refinery
Based on Presentations at 1st International Biorefinery Workshop, Washington DC, July 20-21, 2005 - Future Energy for Mobility, James Simnick, BP - From Bioblending to Biorefining, Veronique Hervouet, Total - Opportunities for Biorenewables in Petroleum Refineries, Jennifer Holmgren, UOP
Market Status of Renewable Diesel •Commercial production in US from poultry fat at one location
– 70 million gal/year capacity – Meets ASTM specification for diesel fuel (D975) – Hydrocarbon with very low oxygen, sulfur, and other impurities – High cetane number – Cloud point can be varied seasonally
•Pilot scale production from sugar (via biochemical route) – Product is a single hydrocarbon compound – Excellent diesel fuel properties – Very low freezing point, potential use as jet fuel
•Smaller scale production from sugar (catalytic reforming) and biomass (fast pyrolysis/hydrotreating)
– We have not yet been able to test these materials
28
Performance of Renewable Diesel
29
• High cetane number and low aromatic content cause reduction in formation of NOx and fine particles
• High purity materials: • No impact on catalyst durability • Require additives for lubricity,
conductivity, and corrosion protection – as does conventional diesel
• Will typically be used as a blend component because of high quality
• Small reduction in fuel economy in some engines
• Lower btu/gal than petroleum diesel
A RD20 A RD100 B RD20 B RD35 D RD20 D RD100
NO
x, Pe
rcen
t Cha
nge
Rel
ativ
e to
ULS
DH
DD
T C
ycle
-12
-10
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
2008 Pickup Truck Engine, DOC-DPF, HD engine certification
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Mid-Term Biofuel Technologies
Long Term
Near Term
Ethanol – as a blending agent from either grain or cellulosic material from Agriculture and/or Forestry industry
Biodiesel – Transesterified vegetable oils blended with diesel
Green Diesel/Gasoline – fats, waste oils, or virgin oils blended with crude oil as a feedstock for making low-sulfur diesel/gasoline in petroleum refinery
Pyrolysis Liquids – as a boiler fuel or an alternative feedstock to petroleum refinery or gasification facility; also a future source of aromatics and/or phenols
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Fast Pyrolysis and Bio-Oil as Feed to Power Plant or Petroleum Refinery
Bio-oil is comprised of many oxygenated organic chemicals, with water-miscible and oil-miscible fractions
Based on research at NREL (1990 - 2006)
• Dark brown mobile liquid
• Combustible
• Not 100% miscible with hydrocarbons
• Modest heating value ~ 17 MJ/kg
• High density ~ 1.2 kg/l
• Acidic, pH ~ 2.5
• Pungent odor
• “Ages” – viscosity increases with time
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Mid-Term Biofuel Technologies
Long Term
Near Term Ethanol – as a blending agent from either grain or cellulosic
material from Agriculture and/or Forestry industry Biodiesel – Transesterified vegetable oils blended with
diesel Green Diesel/Gasoline – fats, waste oils, or virgin oils
blended with crude oil as a feedstock for making low-sulfur diesel/gasoline in petroleum refinery
Pyrolysis Liquids – as a boiler fuel or an alternative feedstock to petroleum refinery or gasification facility, also a future source of aromatics and/or phenols
Synthesis Gas – for conversion to mixed alcohols, Fischer Tropsch liquids, MeOH, or DME
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Gasification Offers Many Feed & Product Options
Primary Energy Source Syngas Step Conversion Technology Products
Syngas(CO + H2)
Fischer Tropsch
(FT)Upgrading
Lubes
Naphtha
DieselSyngas to Liquids (GTL) Process
Mixed Alcohols (e.g. ethanol, propanol)
Syngas to Chemicals Technologies
Methanol
Acetic Acid
Others (e.g. Triptane, DME, etc)
Coal
Natural Gas
Biomass
Hydrogen
Extra Heavy
Oil
Slide courtesy of BP Corporation
Methanol
Advanced biofuels from synthesis gas
Syngas gasification
Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis
Methanol Synthesis
Fermentation
Dry Organic Material
Cellulosics
Mixed Alcohol Synthesis
Gasoline
Diesel
Jet
Solena, Choren Gasoline
Ethanol
Propanol+
Methanol-to- Gasoline Ethanol
Coskata, INEOS
Benefits •Product versatility •Proven technology
Challenges •Biomass collection radius dictates smallish plant size •Limited economy of scale
NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
National Advanced Biofuels Consortium
Project Objective – Develop cost-effective technologies that supplement petroleum-derived fuels with advanced “drop-in” biofuels that are compatible with today’s transportation infrastructure and are produced in a sustainable manner.
ARRA Funded: - 3 year effort - DOE Funding $35.0M - Cost Share $12.5M Total $47.5M
Consortium Leads National Renewable Energy Laboratory Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Consortium Partners Albemarle Corporation Amyris Biotechnologies Argonne National Laboratory BP Products North America Inc. Catchlight Energy, LLC Colorado School of Mines Iowa State University Los Alamos National Laboratory
Pall Corporation RTI International Tesoro Companies Inc. University of California, Davis UOP, LLC Virent Energy Systems Washington State University
35
Biomass Refinery-Ready Intermediates Finished Fuels and Blendstocks
Existing Refinery Infrastructure
Atm
osph
eric
and
Va
cuum
Dis
tilla
tion
Gas
L Naphtha
H Naphtha
LGO
VGO
Atm. Res.
Vac. Res.
Reform
FCC
Alky/Poly
HT/HC
Coker
Gasoline Jet Fuel Diesel Fuel
Crude Oil
Insertion Point #1:
Insertion Point #3:
Insertion Point #2:
Integration With Existing Fuels Infrastructure
36
National Advanced Biofuels Consortium (NABC), www.nabcprojects.org
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Mid-Term Biofuel Technologies
Long Term
Near Term
Ethanol – as a blending agent from either grain or cellulosic material from Agriculture and/or Forestry industry
Biodiesel – Transesterified vegetable oils blended with diesel
Green Diesel/Gasoline – fats, waste oils, or virgin oils blended with crude oil as a feedstock for making low-sulfur diesel/gasoline in petroleum refinery
Pyrolysis Liquids – as a boiler fuel or an alternative feedstock to petroleum refinery or gasification facility, also a future source of aromatics and/or phenols
Synthesis Gas – for conversion to mixed alcohols, Fischer Tropsch liquids, methanol, or dimethyl ether
Algae to Fuels – either to biodiesel or as a lipid source for green diesel or synthetic gasoline
Hydrocarbons – from hydrogenation of carbohydrates or lignin
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
A Novel Approach for Making Jet Fuel from Biomass
Combine two technologies: Algae & Green Diesel
CO2
Cultivation Ponds
Microalgae
• Ethanol • Power • Food
60% Triglyceride
40% Carbohydrates
and Protein
Jet Fuel (JP-8)
Green Diesel
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Thank you for the opportunity.
Are there any questions?
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