NNE5-2000-00233 Demonstration of a Flash Pyrolysis Plant

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EESD (Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development) : Liquid Biofuels and Biogas : Thermochemical Conversion

Proposal No:	NNE5-2000-00233
Date Prepared:	February 2004
Source:	European Bio-Energy Projects (EUR 20808)

Introduction

Research on a 5 t/d (1 MWth) flash pyrolysis system (with heat carrier flow, heat generation system, oil collection etc.) has been completed in previous EC-projects. A larger reference project is being established to overcome the present shortcomings of pyrolysis processes and to convince potential end-users and to determine the plant's operating performance, the oil production price and process availability. Insight into these parameters is a pre-condition to establish the warranty conditions, not only for the present installation but also for future (and competing) pyrolysis processes.

It is expected that the present demonstration plant will have the following characteristics:

• low specific capital investment costs,
• low operational costs, low maintenance, and high availability;
• production of a consistent quality bio-oil,
• end-use demonstration by combustion in a boiler.

The main advantage of flash pyrolysis, compared to gasification or combustion, is that the liquid fuel has a much higher energy density and is much easier to handle and cheaper to store than a solid fuel (such as wood or charcoal). Uncertainties of pyrolysis processes are those with respect to process availability, reliability and gaseous and particulate emissions (in the production facility, and in the end-use of the oil). These are due to the fact that the proposed large-scale system will be the first of a kind and the aim of the present project is to tackle such problems.

In certain countries in Europe, the expected price is now already competitive with industrial light fuel oil due to, for example, green pricing. The oil produced in this project is also of interest to substitute the coal in coal-fired power plants. Pyrolysis oils can be easily applied to replace coal in coal-fired power plants. It is a realistic estimate that, upon successful demonstration of the present project, 20 to 30 pyrolysis plants of 50 t/d based on this technology can be sold all over Europe within the next ten years.

Progress

The detailed design of the anticipated pyrolysis plant is now finalised. The proposed plant consists of a fuel intake system, a flash pyrolysis system (including the reactor, a char combustion section and the heat carrier supply system), the oil collection and storage system, the gas cleaning section incorporating an electrostatic precipitator system, and a gas cleaning device. The demonstration plant has a capacity of 2 t/hr (corresponding to 10 MWth). The main parts are a biomass storage system, the rotating cone pyrolysis reactor, a char combustion section, the bio-oil collection system, several heat exchangers, blowers, various pyrolysis pumps and a flue gas filter. The demonstration plant will be installed at a waste treatment facility where the infrastructure for feed supply is already present. The bio-oil will be delivered to a heat production facility where it will be used to replace fossil fuels. If required, the hot gases can be used to dry the feedstock material.

The hardware costs for the pyrolysis plant are estimated on a basis of commercial quotations. In 2002 a large area of land was acquired on which to locate the pyrolysis unit. In the same year, (draft) delivery contracts with electricity companies and industrial partners were established. Since the beginning of 2003, a dryer has become available which is to be integrated with the pyrolysis plant.

Exploitation

After the construction of the plant and one year of demonstration, a consortium will exploit it on a commercial basis. The demo-phase will yield oil from wood and from industrial / agricultural residues. The oil will be used in combustion research, used at the location for substituting natural gas used in the dryer and sold on a commercial basis. Small amounts of bio-oil will be made available for research at universities and institutes, and in ongoing and new European projects. Negotiations with other representatives of large electricity production plants, district heat boiler facilities and chemical plants are ongoing. Following the demonstration phase, the installation will be operated on a commercial basis.