Abstract

The primary objective of the project is to develop and demonstrate in a bench scale a process for the production of H₂ and electricity from biomass, which will have very high overall efficiency and nearly zero emission of pollutants . The process will be designed in such a way as to allow facile integration with Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC) for the production of electric power and heat(cogeneration) in stationary applications. The process comprises of fast pyrolysis of biomass to produce pyrolysis ail, reformation of the pyrolytic oil to produce a H₂ rich gaseous stream which is fed into a MCFC.

The project addresses the needs for:

• enhancing the use of renewable energy sources in electricity production;
• producing electricity with high efficiency and nearly zero emissions of pollutants and of greenhouse gases, such us CO_2.

Participants in this project are Ansaldo Ricerche Srl, Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells, ENEA (the Italian National Agency for New Technology, Energy and Environment), Centre National de la Recherche Scientific (CNRS) Delegation Rhone-Alpes, the University of Patras (UPAT), the University of Twente (UT), and Queens University of Belfast (QUB).

The role of ENEA is to specify the target productions, unit operation parameters, and process input parameters. Work done at the UT will consist of production and optimisation of pyrolysis oil. A sub-contractor (BTG) will produce pyrolysis oil (100 kg batches optimised).

The UT as coordinator of the project is also involved in the management and exploitation of the results. The role of CNRS is the development of catalysts for reforming of pyrolysis oil for clean hydrogen production and post combustion of MCFC exhaust gas, including activity, selectivity and stability tests, and regeneration methods. The main task of the University of Patras is the development and testing on laboratory scale of advanced types of reformers and components. Ansaldo Ricerche Srl (a prime developer of fuel cells) will be responsible for the system integration, testing and economic evaluation of the process for stationary fuel cell applications.

QUB will closely collaborate with UPAT and CNRS. Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells will work together with UPAT and Ansaldo and will supply commercial catalyst samples to the partners UPAT, QUB, CNRS, and Ansaldo.

Contacts

Coordinator

• Wolter PRINS / University of Twente Industrial Polymer Processes / NETHERLANDS

Participant

• Francesco REPETTO / Ansaldo Ricerche Srl Societa Per Lo Sviluppo Di Nuove Tecnologie / ITALY
• Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UPR 5401 / FRANCE
• Giacobbe BRACCIO / ENEA - Italian Agency for New Technology, Energy and the Environment / ITALY
• Mike PETCH / Johnson Matthey plc Technology Centre / UNITED KINGDOM
• Heather ANDERSON / The Queen's University of Belfast School of Chemistry
• Xenophon VERYKIOS / University of Patras Department of Chemical Engineering / GREECE