Periodic Reporting for period 2 - GICO (Gasification Integrated with CO2 capture and conversion)
Reporting period: 2022-06-01 to 2023-05-31
The world is facing a massive economic, energy and environmental challenge, that is particularly acute for Europe. World energy demand is set to increase by more than 30% between today and 2040. Oil and gas reserves are increasingly concentrated in a few countries. Crude oil and natural gas prices increase. Bioenergy contributes to Europe's energy supply almost as much as the primary energy production of indigenous gas and more than that of oil. The share of biomass (used for heat, electricity and biofuels) in the production of EU RES is about 60%. In the production of renewable electricity biomass share is about 20%. New technologies must be found in order to integrate biomass (especially residual/waste) especially in the transport and electricity sectors as GICO foreseen. Indeed, there is no renewable energy technology with:
1) higher commercial potential (where there is life there is biomass and there will be always low cost biomass waste):
2) lower environmental impacts (it can arrive to CO2 negative emission);
3) better resource efficiency/social acceptance and cross-fertilisation with many sectors (is the only one that can produce also materials/chemicals and can be integrated with food, materials, chemicals and fuel industries)
than the use of residual waste biomass and renewable electricity excess via the technologies that GICO integrates (see Figure 1):
(i) Hydrothermal Cracking (HTC) in order to allow the conversion also of the biomass waste difficult to convert directly (spending less energy in drying, etc).
(ii) Sorption Enhanced Gasification (SEG) in order to convert the solid/liquid biomass in a stream of high content of hydrogen (a more usable clean fuel gas) and a stream with high content of CO2 to be converted (from the CHxOy biomass waste)
(iii) Hot Gas Conditioning (HGC) in order not to generate waste and to convert contaminants in useful gas
(iv) Carbon Capture Storage and Use (CCSU) in order to have a high content of CO2 and to convert it in more useful gases
(v) Power 2 Gas (P2G) in order to convert renewable electricity excess in fuel and stabilize electrical grid
(vi) Advanced biofuel and electricity production technologies to produce biofuel and electricity with high efficiency and low emissions.
The overall objective of GICO is to develop via integration of HTC, SEG, HGC, CCSU, P2G new materials and high quality gaseous intermediate bioenergy carriers; CO2 capture sorbents; high temperature inorganic removal sorbents, catalysts and filter candles; membranes for oxygen separation and for methanol production and technologies (e.g. plasma CO2 conversion) and their integration, to demonstrate the technical feasibility of low cost waste biomass small to medium fuel and CHP plants with more than 50% cost reduction as well as more than 50% efficiency increase and negative-zero emissions.
1) higher commercial potential (where there is life there is biomass and there will be always low cost biomass waste):
2) lower environmental impacts (it can arrive to CO2 negative emission);
3) better resource efficiency/social acceptance and cross-fertilisation with many sectors (is the only one that can produce also materials/chemicals and can be integrated with food, materials, chemicals and fuel industries)
than the use of residual waste biomass and renewable electricity excess via the technologies that GICO integrates (see Figure 1):
(i) Hydrothermal Cracking (HTC) in order to allow the conversion also of the biomass waste difficult to convert directly (spending less energy in drying, etc).
(ii) Sorption Enhanced Gasification (SEG) in order to convert the solid/liquid biomass in a stream of high content of hydrogen (a more usable clean fuel gas) and a stream with high content of CO2 to be converted (from the CHxOy biomass waste)
(iii) Hot Gas Conditioning (HGC) in order not to generate waste and to convert contaminants in useful gas
(iv) Carbon Capture Storage and Use (CCSU) in order to have a high content of CO2 and to convert it in more useful gases
(v) Power 2 Gas (P2G) in order to convert renewable electricity excess in fuel and stabilize electrical grid
(vi) Advanced biofuel and electricity production technologies to produce biofuel and electricity with high efficiency and low emissions.
The overall objective of GICO is to develop via integration of HTC, SEG, HGC, CCSU, P2G new materials and high quality gaseous intermediate bioenergy carriers; CO2 capture sorbents; high temperature inorganic removal sorbents, catalysts and filter candles; membranes for oxygen separation and for methanol production and technologies (e.g. plasma CO2 conversion) and their integration, to demonstrate the technical feasibility of low cost waste biomass small to medium fuel and CHP plants with more than 50% cost reduction as well as more than 50% efficiency increase and negative-zero emissions.
From June 2022 until May 2023 lab scale WPs (WP2 and WP3) have been almost concluded, meanwhile the “pilot”, design and model activities (WP4, WP5) have been undertaken:
WP2 GASIFICATION INTENSIFIED WITH CO2 CAPTURE PROCESS: The pre-treatment of 5 biomass has concluded. The SEG tests lab scale in fluidised and rotary bed lab scale reactor to achieve, within M36, 90% H2 and 90% of CO2 with no bed agglomeration and no sorbents deactivation phenomena it will be difficult to be reached but the first results, quoted in this report, show anyway that the processes are feasible and that can reach good performance. The activities on filter candles, sorbents and catalysts for both gasifier (650 °C) and combustor (900 °C) together with Plasma- Enhanced Catalytic Oxidation treatment (PECO) for tar are almost concluded and the HGC system defined and realised.
WP3 CO2 CONVERSION & O2 SEPARATION: Activities on Plasma assisted catalysis technologies (Dielectric Barrier Discharge, DBD, Gliding Arc Discharge, GAD, Glow Discharge, GD, High voltage Nano-second Plasma, HiNaP) has reached a good point and tests with the oxygen membrane has started but technical difficulties arisen and so the overall chemical and energy balance to define the most convenient technology is still to be defined. Nevertheless, the results confirm that the DBD is the one with higher potentiality to reach CO2 conversion efficiency of 90% with acceptable energy expenses.
WP4 INTEGRATED LAB SCALE TESTS AND INDUSTRIAL PLANT DESIGN: In these 12 months the lab scale tests of integrated gasification/carbonation–combustion/calcination-HGC has been almost completed meanwhile the design at industrial scale is still waiting for experimental and simulative results as foreseen.
Regarding the technology assessment part (WP5-WP6): The first evaluation of the market has been done as well the basis (i.e. overall ASPEN simulation) and the overall techno-economic, environmental and social impact analysis has been started with some problems of definition of the system and the size (goal to optimize and to evaluate the final system and provide the needed information, e.g. LCC, LCA, etc., to support the decision making at M48). Regarding the dissemination part, a lot of meetings have been carried out (also together with IEA), participation to the INEIA workshops, to the ETIP Platform, HRB with a strategy paper, 8 peer revied publications, etc.
WP2 GASIFICATION INTENSIFIED WITH CO2 CAPTURE PROCESS: The pre-treatment of 5 biomass has concluded. The SEG tests lab scale in fluidised and rotary bed lab scale reactor to achieve, within M36, 90% H2 and 90% of CO2 with no bed agglomeration and no sorbents deactivation phenomena it will be difficult to be reached but the first results, quoted in this report, show anyway that the processes are feasible and that can reach good performance. The activities on filter candles, sorbents and catalysts for both gasifier (650 °C) and combustor (900 °C) together with Plasma- Enhanced Catalytic Oxidation treatment (PECO) for tar are almost concluded and the HGC system defined and realised.
WP3 CO2 CONVERSION & O2 SEPARATION: Activities on Plasma assisted catalysis technologies (Dielectric Barrier Discharge, DBD, Gliding Arc Discharge, GAD, Glow Discharge, GD, High voltage Nano-second Plasma, HiNaP) has reached a good point and tests with the oxygen membrane has started but technical difficulties arisen and so the overall chemical and energy balance to define the most convenient technology is still to be defined. Nevertheless, the results confirm that the DBD is the one with higher potentiality to reach CO2 conversion efficiency of 90% with acceptable energy expenses.
WP4 INTEGRATED LAB SCALE TESTS AND INDUSTRIAL PLANT DESIGN: In these 12 months the lab scale tests of integrated gasification/carbonation–combustion/calcination-HGC has been almost completed meanwhile the design at industrial scale is still waiting for experimental and simulative results as foreseen.
Regarding the technology assessment part (WP5-WP6): The first evaluation of the market has been done as well the basis (i.e. overall ASPEN simulation) and the overall techno-economic, environmental and social impact analysis has been started with some problems of definition of the system and the size (goal to optimize and to evaluate the final system and provide the needed information, e.g. LCC, LCA, etc., to support the decision making at M48). Regarding the dissemination part, a lot of meetings have been carried out (also together with IEA), participation to the INEIA workshops, to the ETIP Platform, HRB with a strategy paper, 8 peer revied publications, etc.
GICO seeks at developing advanced, smart and flexible approach to convert bioenergy and RES electricity excess into biofuel and on-demand power production, so producing fuel for the transport sector meanwhile balancing the grid stability. GICO aims to bring together several socio-economic benefits:
(i) utilisation of residual biomass wastes (agricultural, industrial and municipal biomass waste with high humidity and/or ash content, and/or low ash melting point, and/or high contaminants level)
(ii) GICO materials and technologies developed will open new market for residual biomass, sorbents, catalysts, gasifier, plasma technologies, membrane reactors, giving the opportunity to increase efficiency and reduce emissions and costs (50% efficiency increase: 80% vs 40% for fuel and 40% vs 25% for electricity; 25 vs 45 gCO2eq/kWhe biomass GHG emissions; solid fuel to 20 €/t = 5 €/MWh vs 15 €/MWh; high quality gaseous to 10 €/MWh vs 40 €/MWhm; methanol 33 €/MWh vs 75 €/MWh; electricity 100 €/MWhe vs 220 €/MWhe);
(iii) potential to produce around 50% of electricity or 50% of transport EU energy demand, GICO create a real pathway to reduce to zero the EU annual energy import bill and create millions of local plants and job.
GICO’s main success factor is in its modularity and simultaneous production of four energy carriers (bio-syngas, electricity, heat, biomethanol) with reuse of waste CO2 and discontinuous RES electricity starting from low-cost residual biomass of local origin creating a high number of green high-quality jobs throughout the supply chain (recovery of waste biomass, local production and distribution of the energy products) and to have a positive social impact (reduction in the import of fossil fuels, reduction of use of batteries, reduction of net GHG emissions). At the same time, distributed generation makes it possible to stabilize the grid (increase the self-consumption rate, peak shaving, increase grid efficiency, improve load shifting and valley filling strategies) and obtain the CAPEX and OPEX incentives connected to the self-consumed energy
(i) utilisation of residual biomass wastes (agricultural, industrial and municipal biomass waste with high humidity and/or ash content, and/or low ash melting point, and/or high contaminants level)
(ii) GICO materials and technologies developed will open new market for residual biomass, sorbents, catalysts, gasifier, plasma technologies, membrane reactors, giving the opportunity to increase efficiency and reduce emissions and costs (50% efficiency increase: 80% vs 40% for fuel and 40% vs 25% for electricity; 25 vs 45 gCO2eq/kWhe biomass GHG emissions; solid fuel to 20 €/t = 5 €/MWh vs 15 €/MWh; high quality gaseous to 10 €/MWh vs 40 €/MWhm; methanol 33 €/MWh vs 75 €/MWh; electricity 100 €/MWhe vs 220 €/MWhe);
(iii) potential to produce around 50% of electricity or 50% of transport EU energy demand, GICO create a real pathway to reduce to zero the EU annual energy import bill and create millions of local plants and job.
GICO’s main success factor is in its modularity and simultaneous production of four energy carriers (bio-syngas, electricity, heat, biomethanol) with reuse of waste CO2 and discontinuous RES electricity starting from low-cost residual biomass of local origin creating a high number of green high-quality jobs throughout the supply chain (recovery of waste biomass, local production and distribution of the energy products) and to have a positive social impact (reduction in the import of fossil fuels, reduction of use of batteries, reduction of net GHG emissions). At the same time, distributed generation makes it possible to stabilize the grid (increase the self-consumption rate, peak shaving, increase grid efficiency, improve load shifting and valley filling strategies) and obtain the CAPEX and OPEX incentives connected to the self-consumed energy