Uhde process for biofuel R&D project
5 Mar 2010
Dortmund, Germany – BioTfueL is a new joint project launched by five French partners and Uhde. BioTfueL integrates the various technology stages of the so-called biomass to liquid chain (BTL chain = biomass to fuel) with the aim of developing and integrating all the stages of the BTL process chain and bringing them to market. This involves the drying and crushing of the biomass, torrefaction, gasification, purification of the synthesis gas and its ultimate conversion to second generation biofuels using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.
Uhde’s contribution to the production of biofuels is mainly its proprietary PRENFLO gasification process with direct quench (PDQ). The process was selected on the basis of its flexibility in processing a wide variety of biomasses and other resources. It allows high energy efficiency and enables very pure synthesis gas to be produced. A torrefaction pre-treatment plant, which facilitates the application of biomass in an entrained-flow gasifier, and ensures lowest possible energy consumption, is installed to allow the use of a wide range of biomasses.
The overall budget for the BioTfueL project is 112.7 million euro. The project includes the construction and operation of two pilot plants in France to produce biodiesel and biokerosene based on biomass gasification using Uhde’s process. The plants are scheduled to go into operation in 2012.
In view of the rising demand for energy and the need to increase the use of renewable resources to halt climate change, the BioTfueL project will break new ground by meeting these challenges with a technically innovative solution. In a joint effort, a completely integrated industrial process chain will be developed with which various biomasses and fossil resources, in both liquid and solid form, can be applied to produce high-quality biofuels. This flexibility of the process chain allows a high level of efficiency in optimising a continuous fuel supply to industrial plants particularly with regard to economic and logistical parameters
The PRENFLO process is currently being used in Puertollano, Spain where the world’s largest combined cycle power station with integrated coal gasification is in operation using petrol coke, coal and biomass as charge materials. Uhde’s process is based on the Koppers-Totzek coal gasification process which was developed around 70 years ago. The PDQ process was selected for its suitability in processing a variety of
feedstocks and in generating hydrogen-rich synthesis gases, such as for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis applications, by which diesel and kerosene can be produced. BioTfueL’s objective is to remove all existing technological hurdles so that all process steps can be adapted for use in the combined application of biomass and fossil resources, and allow a secure transition to industrial-scale operations.
