Startup takes wood pellets in, turns out 'biogasoline'

[latichever]

Going in the other direction. New uses=higher prices?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-5...llets-in-turns-out-biogasoline/?tag=cnetRiver

For a new crop of biofuel companies, ethanol is out and "biogasoline" is in.

One of them is Primus Green Energy which plans to open a demonstration plant by the end of the year that will convert wood pellets into high-octane gasoline. The Hillsborough, New Jersey-based company intends to raise $50 million to $100 million this year for a commercial-scale plant to start producing at higher volumes in 2015.

Its first small-scale demonstration plant puts wood pellets into a customized gasifier, a machine that heats the biomass to high temperature with super-heated steam and turns it into a gas mix of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

Then natural gas is added and the mix is sent through an off-the-shelf scrubber to remove impurities, such as sulfur. Finally, the syngas goes through another vessel where catalysts convert the carbon-hydrogen gas into a bio-gasoline and water as a byproduct.

 

[Chain]

Just read about this. I still think third generation bio-fuels made via algae and/or modified bacteria will be the future and not with biomass inputs such as this process.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

great! maybe them we can quit wasting food on driving and use non edible biomass for fuel.


IMHO this type of "green research" is a positive step, we need more of it. we as a country should be working on a long term plan to phase such green sources into the mainstream rather than being punitively dragged kicking and screaming into it. i'd like to see someone come up with somthing akin to a "30 year plan" designed to phase the green workable ideas in while using domestic energy as a "bridge" to the green future.

let me stop now so i dont get this thread "canned"

 

[Weird tolkienish figure]

Going in the other direction. New uses=higher prices?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-5...llets-in-turns-out-biogasoline/?tag=cnetRiver

For a new crop of biofuel companies, ethanol is out and "biogasoline" is in.

One of them is Primus Green Energy which plans to open a demonstration plant by the end of the year that will convert wood pellets into high-octane gasoline. The Hillsborough, New Jersey-based company intends to raise $50 million to $100 million this year for a commercial-scale plant to start producing at higher volumes in 2015.

Its first small-scale demonstration plant puts wood pellets into a customized gasifier, a machine that heats the biomass to high temperature with super-heated steam and turns it into a gas mix of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

Then natural gas is added and the mix is sent through an off-the-shelf scrubber to remove impurities, such as sulfur. Finally, the syngas goes through another vessel where catalysts convert the carbon-hydrogen gas into a bio-gasoline and water as a byproduct.

I have nothing against this but once the subsidies start you can all kiss your cheap source of heating fuel goodbye. Sorry to be harsh but that's the truth.

 

[h2ochild]

"Its process can also work well with miscanthus or entirely on natural gas, giving the company some flexibility on feedstock." Pennsylvania, large potential supplies of shale gas...I'd bet not many pellets will be used. Not that they shouldn't...Just betting they won't be viewed as economically as practical, as all of that gas.

 

[JustWood]

I think something is missing from the story. In the begining they say pellets, in the end they say biomass . I can't see the economics in using pellets when dried sawdust and microchips could be used at < 1/3 the cost.
Everything I've read about cellulose derived (raw chips,sawdust ,corn fodder, etc) ethanol is that it will be in the market soon and it's 20 times less energy intensive than corn. That kinda works against this sort of tech being cost effective.
I'm not a scientist/engineer but this doesn't make sense to me.

 

[ironpony]

misinformation here