Transportation Fuels From the Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation of Biomass Pyrolysis Oil

Transportation Fuels from the Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation of Biomass Pyrolysis Oil

L. Baird, T. Brandvold, S. Lupton, T. Kalnes, S. Frey

UOP LLC, A Honeywell Company

Des Plaines, IL USA

                                                                    © 2012 UOP LLC, all rights reserved.

Thermal pyrolysis is an efficient process for converting solid biomass to a transportable, renewable liquid fuel. This fuel can be burned directly in boiler applications and for generating electricity. However, the pyrolysis oil has certain characteristics that limit its utility as a transportation fuel.  In particular the high level of organic oxygenates, high water content and high acidity make the fuel incompatible with existing  distribution infrastructure and conventional automobile or aviation engines.

In 2008 Honeywell's UOP LLC, the world's leading refining and petrochemicals process technology company, and Ensyn Corporation, the world‘s leader in commercial biomass pyrolysis technology, formed a joint venture, Envergent Technologies LLC, to commercialize the production of pyrolysis oil for energy applications using RTP^TM Rapid Thermal Processing technology.  In addition to delivering the technology to existing heat and electricity markets, the joint venture has been pursuing upgrading of biomass pyrolysis oil to transportation quality fuels.

One route for pyrolysis oil upgrading is hydroprocessing.   Biomass is pyrolyzed via the RTP process to produce pyrolysis oil which is then catalytically hydrogenated to a hydrocarbon fuel having low oxygen, water and acid,content compatible with existing fuel infrastructure. Proof-of-principle validation for this approach to pyrolysis oil upgrading has been previously reported.

In this presentation we will discuss progress towards development and commerciallization of the integrated biomass to transporation fuels technology, including characterization of the products and Life Cycle Analysis.