Production of JP-8 Range Fuels and Chemicals from Pyrolysis bio-oil using Nanostructured Catalyst

Landbruk og skogbruk i India og Norge utgjør et godt grunnlag for utvikling av landsbybasert sirkulær bioøkonomi, inkludert inntekt, arbeid og velferd, der biomasse erstatter fossilt brensel og petroleumsbaserte kjemikalier og materialer. Spesielt gjelder dette for tungtransport og sjøtransport, hvor det ikke forventes et like godt alternativ til biobasert drivstoff frem til 2050. Termokjemiske produksjonsmåter, slik som rask pyrolyse og hydrotermisk kondensering, har som mål å produsere biooljer i ett trinn. Både hydrotermisk kondensering og den påfølgende oppgradering av oljer til høykvalitetsdrivstoff innebærer svært kompleks kjemi. En detaljert forståelse av disse prosessene er viktig for videre prosessoptimalisering og robusthet av teknologien. Hovedformålet med dette prosjektet var å utvikle katalytisk aktive materialer og optimalisere hydrogenbehandlingsprosesser for produksjon av biodrivstoff med høy verdi fra ikke-matkonkurrerende bio-fornybare kilder som for eksempel maisstiver, hvetestrå, risstrå og sukkerrør avfall. Prosjektet fokuserte på oppgradering av biooljefraksjoner som har potensial til å gi flytende hydrokarboner egnet som transport drivstoff.

The commercialization of fast pyrolysis units and the scale up of HTL has shown a significant progress. As the result the focus in research and development has shifted towards the bio-oil upgrading. NanoCat4Fuels has established a new route for catalytic biomass upgrading. By applying a combination of solvents and low-cost catalysts bio liquids with high ash content can be treated producing nearly oxygen-free oils. The operation in slurry mode allows to feed heavy crude oils as the solvent assists in dispersion. A stable temperature is maintained. The upgraded, hydrophobic product can easily be washed from inorganics using water and further be treated in refinery processes. With this the slurry-based upgrading process has been established as alternative to fixed bed processes, especially when dealing with bio liquids with high ash content. The work will be followed up within the Bio4Fuels center. Based on the results of NanoCat4Fuels two Horizon Europe applications have been submitted, in which Sintef will take on the role of crude oil upgrading. In addition, one Green Platform application has been submitted to the Research Council, in which Silva Green Fuels together with Sintef will develop catalytic upgrading processes for HTL crude. In addition, Sintef is developing commercial lab scale reactor designs for industrial development. For this prototype development the experience gained within NanoCat4Fuels is of high value, specifically with respect to handling, storing and feeding of crude bio liquids as well as the compositional analysis of complex oils. The analysis protocols developed in NanoCat4Fuels have been applied in on-going projects, such as the Horizon 2020 project EBIO and the Norwegian projects Enzymes4Fuels and BioCarbUp. In addition, they have been applied in industrial projects focusing on the analysis and HMS evaluation of bio-based oils, binders and carbons.

The agriculture sector in India and Norway constitutes a great basis for the development of a circular bioeconomy, with biomass replacing fossil fuels and petroleum based chemicals as well as materials. Especially is this the case for heavy-duty and marine transportation, where no serious alternative to bio-based liquid fuels is foreseen until 2050. Thermochemical routes, such as fast pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction, aim to produce bio-oils in one step. Both the liquefaction process and a further upgrading of oils to high quality fuels involve highly complex chemistry. A detailed understanding of these processes is essential for further process optimization and robustness of the technology. The primary objective of this project is to develop catalysts and optimize hydrotreatment processes for the production of JP-8 range biofuels from non-food competitive biorenewable sources, such as corn stover, wheat straw, rice straw and sugarcane stover. The focus is, hereby, on the upgrading of fast pyrolysis oil fraction having the potential to yield long chain liquid hydrocarbons in the range of JP-8 fuels (British Defence Standard 91-87). The proposed project includes catalyst preparation, screening of activity/selectivity using model compounds for lignin & sugars and proof of principle conversion of pyrolysis oils from agriculture residues. State-of-the art equipment includes milli scale and pilot rigs. Based on the most promising catalyst and hydrotreatment conditions, validated by techno-economics, one catalyst will be scaled up and tested in kg scale. The project includes state-of-the-art analysis of crude and upgraded pyrolysis oils as well as characterization of fresh and spent catalysts. The focus is, thereby the quantification and cordination of heteroatoms in bio oils and the nature of coke deposits on the catalyst. Deep insight into this will provide key information to design new processes and catalysts for crude bio oil upgrading into transport fuels.