Presentation given Biomass Gasification Europe 2014 at the Conference of the European Biogas Association 2014.

1. Syngas Routes to Alternative Fuels from
Renewable Sources
John Bøgild Hansen - Haldor Topsøe
Alkmaar, October 2, 2014

2. We have been committed to catalytic
process technology for more than 70 years
¡ Founded in 1940 by Dr. Haldor Topsøe
¡ Revenue: 700 million Euros
¡ 2700 employees
¡ Headquarters in Denmark
¡ Catalyst manufacture in Denmark and
the US

3. Gasification process
Raw materials
for gasification
Biomass
Coal
Natural gas
etc.
Products
Methanol
Hydrogen
Ammonia
Power
Building blocks
Synthesis gas
CO, H2, CO2, CH4
SNG
etc.
Tar removal

4. Tar reforming – Enabling technology
for biomass gasification
¡ Gasification of biomass results in a syngas that contains
tars and contaminants
– 1000 -2500 ppm tar
– 50 – 100 ppm S, particulates
– 850-930°C, 1-30 bar g
– Ammonia decomposition
BIOMASS
GASIFIER
ASH
TAR REFORMER

5. Topsoe Tar Reforming in Skive
¡ Topsoe monolithic tar
reforming catalyst was started
up late August 09
¡ Low ammonia slip
¡ Low methane exit
¡ Low dP

6. “Dusty” tar reforming
PROCESSING
& UTILIZATION
TAR
REFOR
MER
BIOMASS
-FEED
GASI
FIER
ASH
“Dusty” tar
reforming
10-30 g dust / Nm3
HOT GAS FILTER

7. Skive Fjernvarme a.m.b.a. (Skive CHP)
Location Skive, Denmark
Capacity 21 MWth, Max 28 MWth
Operational year 2009
Fuel consumption 100 TPD
Fuel Biomass, wood pellets
Gasification techn. Air blown, bubbling fluidized bed
Pressure range 1 – 3 bar g
Power generation Gas engines

8. Skive Fjernvarme a.m.b.a. (Skive CHP)

9. “Clean” tar reforming
QUENCH
GAS “Clean” tar reforming
PROCESSING
& UTILIZATION
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HOT GAS FILTER
TAR
REFOR
MER
BIOMASS
-FEED
ASH
DUST
1 -10 mg dust / Nm3
GASI
FIER
Nickel-based

10. Gas Technology Institute, Chicago
Location Chicago, USA
Capacity ~ 4 MWth
Fuel consumption 18 TPD
Fuel Biomass, wood pellets
Gasification techn. Oxygen blown, bubbling fluidized bed
Pressure range 1-9 bar g

11. Gas Technology Institute, Chicago
¡ Tar reformer ~ 1150 run
hrs
¡ No soot formation
¡ 15 min. lack of oxygen
– No deactivation!
750 – 950 °C
1050 – 1375 Nm3/h
30 – 160 ppmv H2S
Full tar conversion

12. DME the versatile fuel
TIGAS

13. Syngas to MeOH/DME Equilibrium
100
Conversion (H2+CO)
Pressure (bar g)
80
60
40
20
0
MeOH / DME
MeOH
0 20 40 60 80 100
100%
80%
60%
40%
DME MeOH
0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
H2/CO
0%
Equilibrium, mol%
20%
H2
CO
CO2
H2O
T = 250°C
H2 = 51
CO = 48
CO2 = 1
Optimum ratio at H2:CO ≈ 1

14. Methanol from sustainable sources
BioDME Black Liqour to Green DME Demo
Black Liq. CO2
AGR DME
Water
WGS Sulphur
Guard
MeOH
Synthesis
Unit

15. Topsøe Integrated Gasoline Synthesis
Methanol
Synthesis
C3-C4
Gasoline
Water
MTG
TIGAS
Methanol To Gasoline
MeOH↔DME Gasoline
Synthesis Separation
Day Tank
(Raw Methanol)
Synthesis Gas
MeOH/DME
Synthesis

16. 25 bbl/d Demonstration Plant
Green Gasoline from Wood Using Carbona Gasification and Topsoe TIGAS Processes
OXYGEN Cleaning
OXYGEN
BIOMASS
GASIFIER
ASH
TAR REFORMER
TAR REFORMER
BIOMASS
GASIFIER
MeOH
/DME
MeOH/DME Gasoline
/ N2
Gas
http://www.energy.gov/news2009/releases.htm

17. Fuel Cell and Electrolyser
SOFC SOEC
H2O H2
H2 H2O
½O2
H2O + 2e- → H2 + O2-
½O2
O2-
O2- → 2e- +½O2
H2 + O2- → H2O + 2e-
O2-
½O2 + 2e- → O2-
SOFC
SOEC
H2 + CO + O2 H2O + CO2 + electric energy (ΔG) + heat (TΔS)

18. SOEC more efficient than present Electrolysers
Internal waste heat used to split water
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
Energy needed to evaporate water
Waste heat which can be utilised to split water
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Deg C.
kWh per Nm3 H2
Minimum Electricity Input

19. Electrolysis
CO
H2
CO2
Power
Steam
CO2
Hydrogen
SNG
Methanol
DME
Gasoline
Diesel
Syngas

20. GreenSynFuel Project

21. Mass Flows in Wood to MeOH

22. Mass Flows in Wood + SOEC to MeOH

23. Effciencies: Stand alone wood gasifier
and gasifier plus SOEC
LHV
Efficiency %
Wood
Gasifier
alone
Wood gasifier
Plus SOEC
Methanol 59.2 70.8
District Heat 22.6 10.8
Total 81.8 81.6

24. Synergy between SOEC and fuel synthesis
SOEC Synthesis
CO2
H2O
Syn
Gas
Product
Steam

25. Using the gas system as a key integrator
Biogas in the future
integrated energy system

26. 1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Wind scenario
Wind Sun Wave Heat
(sun, geo. and
heat pump)
Biomass and
waste (incl.
slurry)
PJ per year
Used today (2008)
Potential
2050 (recommendation)
26
Domestic renewable resources to reach 100
per cent renewable energy by 2050
Danish Commission on Climate Change Policy, 2010
Fluctuating power
production
Gross energy consumption 2008
Gross energy consumption 2050
Energinet.dk
analysed high
wind scenario
Source:
2012-04-23 Renewable gases as a flexibility provider for the power grid

27. Conclusions
¡ Dusty tar reforming is now commercially proven
¡ Clean tar reforming has been demonstrated in
connection with succesful meOH/DME and gasoline
synthesis at 25 bbl/day
¡ Sustained black liquor to DME has been proven at 4
MTPD scale and truck operation as well
¡ Coupling SOEC with biomass gasification can double the
biomass potential by converting excess carbon.