The potential and challenges of drop-in biofuels production 2018 update Susan van Dyk, Jianping Su, James McMillan and Jack Saddler Forest Products Biotechnology/Bioenergy Group Coordinator: International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 39 (Liquid biofuels) Forest Products Biotechnology/Bioenergy (FPB/B)
Commissioned report published by IEA Bioenergy Task 39 (2014) Commercializing Conventional and Advanced Liquid Biofuels from Biomass www.task39.org 2
Definition of drop-in biofuels Drop-in biofuels: are liquid bio-hydrocarbons that are: functionally equivalent to petroleum fuels and fully compatible with existing petroleum infrastructure Current biofuels vs Drop-in fuels Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) - biodiesel Hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVO) or HEFA Hydrotreated pyrolysis oils (HPO) Fischer-Tropsch liquids
Technologies for drop-in biofuel production Green diesel Oils and fats Oleochemical Light gases Naphtha HEFA-SPK Lignocellulose Thermochemical Jet Diesel FT-SPK/SKA HDCJ, HTL-jet Sugar & starch Biochemical Single product e.g. farnesene, ethanol, butanol SIP-SPK CO 2, CO Hybrid ATJ-SPK APR-SPK
Oleochemical drop-in biofuel platform Products HVO, HEFA, HDRD, HRJ Simple technology, low risk (already commercial) ASTM certification in 50% blends Hydrotreatment of lipid feedstocks (vegetable oils, used cooking oil, tallow, inedible oils) Lowest H 2 requirement Blended product renewable diesel 5
Thermochemical drop-in biofuel platforms INTER- MEDIATES CATALYTIC UPGRADING 500 C No O 2 Biomass 900 C some O 2 Pyrolysis oil Gasification Syngas Hydro treatment 1 Fischer Tropsch Hydro treatment 2 HPO FT liquids Hydrocracking Gases Gasoline Jet Diesel Forest Products Biotechnology/Bioenergy (FPB/B) 6
Biochemical and hybrid technologies hydrolysis CO 2 sugar Biomass FERMENTATION - Conventional - Advanced Product Hydrocarbon e.g. farnesene Alcohols e.g. butanol, ethanol ATJ Drop-in fuel Farnesane Alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) -Dehydration -Oligomerisation -Hydrogenation -Fractionation ATJ-SPK fuel Source: Lanzatech 14
Challenges of technology platforms Oleochemical Feedstock cost, availability, sustainability Pyrolysis Hydrogen Hydrotreating catalyst cost and lifespan Gasification Capital / scale Syngas conditioning Biochemical Low productivity Valuable intermediates 8
Stages of commercialisation
Commercial volumes of drop-in biofuel through oleochemical platform Neste Oil facility, Rotterdam Company Feedstock Billion L/y Neste (4 facilities) mixed 2.37 Diamond Green Diesel tallow 0.49 REG Geismar tallow 0.27 Preem Petroleum Tall oil 0.02 UPM biofuels Tall oil 0.12 ENI (Italy) Soy & other oils 0.59 Cepsa (Spain 2 demo facilities) unknown 0.12 AltAir Fuels mixed 0.14 World Total 4.12 10
Key challenge in drop-in biofuel production getting rid of oxygen Oxygen content of feedstock (up to 50%) Oxygen content reduces energy density of fuel Effective Hydrogen to carbon ratio H eff /C = nn HH 2nn(OO) nn(cc)
The Effective H/C ratio staircase Drop-in biofuel Oleochemical Lipid feedstocks require the least H 2 Wood Sugar 0 0.2 Lignin 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 Biochemical 1.2 1.4 Lipids 1.6 Thermochemical Diesel 2.0 1.8 High O 2 or low H/C feedstocks require more H 2 inputs
Competition for hydrogen 90% of commercial H 2 comes from steam reforming of natural gas Well established process in petrochemical industry, but decreased quality of oil will increase demand for H 2 Biomass? BIO OIL 10
How do we expand drop-in biofuel production? Build stand-alone infrastructure Co-location (hydrogen) Repurpose existing infrastructure (e.g. AltAir in California) Risk Capital Co-processing of biobased intermediates in existing refineries to produce fossil fuels with renewable content (lower carbon intensity)
Co-location Over the fence Hydrogen inputs can reduce capital and feedstock costs Petroleum hydrodesulfurisation Petroleum hydrocracking Pyrolysis oil HTL biocrude Naphtha Kerosene ATM resid Gas Oil Mild HCK Single Resid HDO HDO HDS HDS HDS HDS STG HCK HCK 45 555 460 422 358 1150 660 ~3400 ~1800 Hydrogen (H2) consumption for different processes (standard cubic feet/barrel)
Co-processing Types of feedstock lipids, biomass based biocrudes Potential points of insertion into the refinery Potential problems
Co-processing-potential insertion points Challenges Co-processing strategies illustrated as various potential insertion points into a generic type of refinery
Oleochemical feedstocks Vegetable oils (palm oil, canola, rapeseed, soybean), Animal fats, Used cooking oil, Non-edible oil (tall oil, carinata) Characteristics Triglycerides and free fatty acids Chemically quite homogenous Lipids in diesel range 11% oxygen, 1.8 H/effC ratio Waste oils have higher free fatty acids which affects the acidity Waste oils also have other contaminants
Bio-oils and biocrudes Fast pyrolysis oils, Catalytic pyrolysis oils, Partially deoxygenated pyrolysis oils, Hydrothermal liquefaction biocrudes Characteristics Up to 400 different components High oxygen levels (up to 50% in fast pyrolysis bio-oils) Low ph, corrosion High aromatic content from degradation of lignin Water content, phase separation Catalytic pyrolysis oils or partially hydrotreated pyrolysis bio-oils have lower oxygen levels
Deoxygenating biomass
Chemistry of oxygen removal and implications for refinery processes Formation of CO, CO 2 and H 2 O Hydrotreating generates heat Potential formation of CH 4 Catalyst inactivation Increased formation of aromatics in the FCC Interrupted production
Refinery Integration and Co-processing Why? The role of policy Considerations Risk Product slate Benefits ASTM certification of co-processed products
Tracking renewable content during co-processing C14 isotopic method Potential mass balance approach Total mass balance method Mass balance based on observed yields Carbon mass balance method (CARB, 2017)
Carbon Intensity Determination FCC co-processing Use process unit level allocation on energy basis Hydrotreater co-processing Use incremental allocation GGGGGG LLLLLL = GGGGGG cccc MM pp YY ii GHGLCF = Incremental GHG emissions associated with low carbon fuel GHGcp = GHG of Ith fuel (low carbon + petroleum) produced from coprocessing Mp = Mass of middle distillate used in co-processing Yi = specific emissions per unit middle distillate processed in the baseline (kg CO2e/kg-middle distillate)
Role of policy MFSP Bridging the gap to achieve price parity Policy has been essential for development of conventional biofuels Biojet Fossiljet Blending mandates, Subsidies, Tax credits, market based measures (carbon tax, low carbon fuel standards) Drop-in biofuels will find it challenging to compete at current oil prices Policy to assist in bridging this price gap Specific policy support for drop-in fuels
LCA comparison for technologies Differences mainly due to: Cultivation emissions from fertilizer application Feedstock characteristics (Moisture content, level of saturation) Co-products
Some conclusions Importance of feedstock cost, quality and supply chain Important role of policy to drive development Drop-in biofuel production more similar to oil refining Multiple products Similar upgrading Drop-in biofuels particularly suited to certain sectors (aviation, trucking) Biojet fuel initiatives are playing an important role in driving drop-in development
Conventional drop in biofuels act as a bridge to advanced drop-in biofuels Conventional drop-ins Advanced Drop-ins Fossil fuels Vegetable crops canola, Tall Oil, UCO Lignocellulosic feedstocks, forest residue supply chain