Professor David Lewis, School of Chemical Engineering Renewable diesel, can economic viability be realised?
Biofuels Energy balance biofuels must be energy positive Carbon footprint biofuel footprint must be less than a fossil oil derived equivalent fuel Cost consumer cost for biofuels must be parity with fossil oil derived equivalent fuels University of Adelaide 2
Biodiesel Biodiesel is defined under the standard of ASTM D6751 as a fuel comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long-chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. What about algae! Produces lipid Expensive to grow Neste Oil - 10 different feedstocks (www.neste.com) University of Adelaide 3
Renewable diesel Also known as 'green diesel Chemically equivalent to petroleum derived diesel Derived from renewable and biological sources Should meet the standards of ASTM D975 and are not mono-alkyl esters No ASTM definition for renewable diesel Derived from Hydrotreating Thermal Depolymerisation Biomass-to-Liquid and Fischer- Tropsch University of Adelaide 4
Hydrothermal liquefaction Bench scale Pilot plant University of Adelaide 5
Feedstocks & economics Waste management costs University of Adelaide 6
Industry the way forwards From trash to treasure Following successful field trials, a $150 million commercial-scale biofuel plant producing 200 million litres per annum of advanced biofuel suitable for military, marine and aviation use will be constructed. Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant The pilot plant is sited at the Northern Oil Refinery Waste tyres Prickly acacia Green waste Bagasse This stage of the project will create hundreds of jobs and new industries across regional Queensland. The commercial plant will require large feedstock volumes of what iscurrently considered to be waste material, including bagasse from sugar cane milling, green waste from regional cities, woody weeds like prickly acacia and other wastes such as tyres from the mining sector, heavytransport and passenger vehicles. Southern Oilhas identified12 regions that maybe suitable sites forprimaryprocessing plants to produce liquidfeedstockforthe Gladstone facility. 1. Brisbane region: green waste and waste tyres 2. Bundaberg region: sugar cane waste 3. Rockhampton region: green waste The Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant is a $18 million green fuel game changer developed by Southern Oil Refining at its Northern Oil Refinery atyarwun, near Gladstone, Queensland. The pilot plant will use biomass and waste material such as sugarcane bagasse and prickly acacia as feedstock for the production of biocrude oil, which will be refined into saleable kerosene and diesel products. The pilot plant aims to produce one million litres of fuel for use in field trials by the US navy as part of its Great Green Fleet initiative, by the Australian Defence Force, by Australian heavy road transport operators and possibly for the aviation sector. The pilot plant aligns with the objectives of the Queensland Government s Biofutures Roadmap and Action Plan; stimulating an industrial biotechnology revolution in the state. Southern Oil continues to drive innovation in this space, and has partnered with the Queensland University of Technology to fund research into the production of industrial products from by-products generated during biofuel and recycled oil production. Field trialsforthe USNavy sgreat GreenFleetproject Queensland PremierAnnastacia PalaszczukMP tours the site forthe pilotplant Leading the field in researchand development Southern Oil built Australia s first biocrude and biofuel laboratory as part of the Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant. The laboratory is an important step in developing product specifications for Australian biocrude and refined renewable fuels, paving the way for an open market, and will provide Australian biofuels innovators with domestic testing of product samples saving time and money. Ultimately the laboratory will help to determine whether a compelling business case can be made to build a commercial scale biorefinery to produce renewable diesel and jet fuels. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) contributed $2.37 million towards the cost of the $5.3 million state of the art laboratory, with Southern Oil financing the balance. 13 10 Richmond Mount Isa Cairns Tully/Innisfail 7 Herbert River/Ingham 6 Townsville 9 8 10 Hughenden 5 Burdekin/Ayr/Home Hill 12 Roma 4 Mackay 11 Clermont 3 Rockhampton 12 Toowoomba NORTHERN OIL ADVANCED BIOFUELS PILOT PLANT Gladstone 2 Bundaberg 1 Brisbane 4. Mackay region: sugar cane waste 5. Burdekin region (Ayr/Home Hill): sugar cane waste 6. Townsville region: green waste 7. Herbert River mill (Ingham region): sugar cane waste 8. Tully/Innisfail region: sugar cane waste 9. Cairns region: sugar cane waste 10. Hughenden or Richmond: prickly acacia 11. Clermont region: waste tyres (mining) 12. Roma or Toowoomba region: waste tyres (mining) 13. Mount Isa: waste tyres (mining) and prickly acacia www.sor.com.au University of Adelaide 7