Final Report Summary - CHRISGAS (Clean Hydrogen-rich Synthesis Gas)
The primary aim of the CHRISGAS project at its onset was to demonstrate within a five year period an energy-efficient and cost effective method to produce hydrogen-rich gases from biomass, which could be transformed into renewable automotive fuels such as FT diesel, DME and hydrogen. The process was planned for demonstration at Växjö Värnamo Biomass Gasification Centre (VVBGC) in Sweden, after modification to the world's first complete IGCC demonstration plant for biomass. Unfortunately these demonstration activities could not take place within the time frame of the CHRISGAS project as the rebuild and demonstration plant testing require additional funding outside CHRISGAS. Nevertheless, significant basic engineering work and a number of highly successful gasification test runs have been performed at the existing IGCC plant at VVBGC during 2006 and 2007 certifying that the existing plant has maintained good operational standards over the seven years in which it was mothballed.
The primary objective was to demonstrate at a scale of 18 MW thermal, the manufacture of a clean synthesis gas with high hydrogen content. The process is based on gasification of biomass, followed by gas upgrading by hot gas cleaning to remove particulates, and by steam reforming of tar and light hydrocarbons and water gas shift to further enhance the hydrogen yield. The overall objectives of the CHRISGAS project further included:
- to demonstrate the conversion of a solid biofuel into a medium calorific value gas by gasification at elevated pressure using a steam and oxygen mixture;
- to demonstrate purification of the generated gas at high temperature, e.g. in a high temperature filter, and by catalytic or thermal steam reforming of tars, methane and other light hydrocarbons, to generate a raw synthesis gas consisting mainly of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) as energy carriers;
- to operate and gather data on different types of solid biofuel feedstocks and to potentially test some of these at the Värnamo site.
Unfortunately, these goals became unfeasible within the original five year time frame of CHRISGAS due to funding from the Swedish Energy Agency (STEM) conditionally being put on hold in December 2007. This was due to insufficient industrial participation; both with regard to co-financing and commercialisation undertaking.
As a result of the delays associated with financing the rebuild for the demonstration project in Värnamo, the objectives of the project were shifted to perform further system research at the available laboratory pilot plants within the CHRISGAS consortium, namely those at TU Delft and KTH and further system studies.
Further objectives of CHRISGAS included:
- to conduct desktop studies, based mainly on experimental results obtained in the project, of the conditioning of the produced gas to a quality suitable for manufacture of a variety of other potential products;
- to test and develop a biomass piston feeding device to potentially be installed for the Värnamo gasification pilot as a commercial unit at a later stage;
- to conduct desktop studies of the production of automotive fuels from various biofuels, at the scale and cost representative of typical biomass fuel chains in various regions in Europe;
- to conduct desktop studies to estimate the socio-economic impact of the introduction of BtL production plants related the social effects such as jobs created directly and indirectly at the plant location and in the fuel supply area;
- disseminate the scientific and technical results through scientific publications, conference presentations as well as through workshops.
It is the opinion of the CHRISGAS consortium that the above objectives of the project have been met and will contribute to the generation, exploitation and dissemination of new knowledge and to the implementation of EU research policy, as well as to the development of energy and associated policies.
The project team worked on the following areas:
- pilot plant modifications and alterations;
- pilot verification work;
- fuel supply and management;
- biomass drying;
- pressurised fuel feeding;
- gasification;
- gas characterisation;
- hot gas filtration;
- steam reforming;
- water-gas-shift (WGS);
- ancillary and novel processes;
- process system studies / system studies;
- socio-economic studies;
- training and dissemination activities.
The R&D activities covering the whole value chain from biomass to syngas, and parallel to the work at the VVBGC plant, were intensified during the last 18 months of the CHRISGAS project. The project's R&D activities included biomass logistics; biomass drying integration; pressurised fuel feeding, gasification; hot synthesis gas characterisation; high temperature filtration / cleaning; catalytic steam reforming; and shift gas catalyst characterisation. Several important and significant results were achieved within CHRISGAS.
- A new piston feeder for biomass to a gasifier was developed and commercialised. This significantly reduces the consumption of inert gas.
- A modified hot gas filter with new features was successfully pilot tested.
- Important knowledge on oxygen / steam-blown biomass CFB gasification, catalytic reforming and WGS process was developed, as well as within other key areas of the thermo-chemical conversion process.
- A special GIS application tool BIORAISE was developed and made available to the public.
- Investment and production costs of complete BTL-plants based on gasification.
Thus the results of the CHRISGAS project will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases and pollutant emissions, increase the security of energy supplies and increase the use of renewable energy in the transport sector when the studied technologies are introduced commercially.
The primary objective was to demonstrate at a scale of 18 MW thermal, the manufacture of a clean synthesis gas with high hydrogen content. The process is based on gasification of biomass, followed by gas upgrading by hot gas cleaning to remove particulates, and by steam reforming of tar and light hydrocarbons and water gas shift to further enhance the hydrogen yield. The overall objectives of the CHRISGAS project further included:
- to demonstrate the conversion of a solid biofuel into a medium calorific value gas by gasification at elevated pressure using a steam and oxygen mixture;
- to demonstrate purification of the generated gas at high temperature, e.g. in a high temperature filter, and by catalytic or thermal steam reforming of tars, methane and other light hydrocarbons, to generate a raw synthesis gas consisting mainly of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) as energy carriers;
- to operate and gather data on different types of solid biofuel feedstocks and to potentially test some of these at the Värnamo site.
Unfortunately, these goals became unfeasible within the original five year time frame of CHRISGAS due to funding from the Swedish Energy Agency (STEM) conditionally being put on hold in December 2007. This was due to insufficient industrial participation; both with regard to co-financing and commercialisation undertaking.
As a result of the delays associated with financing the rebuild for the demonstration project in Värnamo, the objectives of the project were shifted to perform further system research at the available laboratory pilot plants within the CHRISGAS consortium, namely those at TU Delft and KTH and further system studies.
Further objectives of CHRISGAS included:
- to conduct desktop studies, based mainly on experimental results obtained in the project, of the conditioning of the produced gas to a quality suitable for manufacture of a variety of other potential products;
- to test and develop a biomass piston feeding device to potentially be installed for the Värnamo gasification pilot as a commercial unit at a later stage;
- to conduct desktop studies of the production of automotive fuels from various biofuels, at the scale and cost representative of typical biomass fuel chains in various regions in Europe;
- to conduct desktop studies to estimate the socio-economic impact of the introduction of BtL production plants related the social effects such as jobs created directly and indirectly at the plant location and in the fuel supply area;
- disseminate the scientific and technical results through scientific publications, conference presentations as well as through workshops.
It is the opinion of the CHRISGAS consortium that the above objectives of the project have been met and will contribute to the generation, exploitation and dissemination of new knowledge and to the implementation of EU research policy, as well as to the development of energy and associated policies.
The project team worked on the following areas:
- pilot plant modifications and alterations;
- pilot verification work;
- fuel supply and management;
- biomass drying;
- pressurised fuel feeding;
- gasification;
- gas characterisation;
- hot gas filtration;
- steam reforming;
- water-gas-shift (WGS);
- ancillary and novel processes;
- process system studies / system studies;
- socio-economic studies;
- training and dissemination activities.
The R&D activities covering the whole value chain from biomass to syngas, and parallel to the work at the VVBGC plant, were intensified during the last 18 months of the CHRISGAS project. The project's R&D activities included biomass logistics; biomass drying integration; pressurised fuel feeding, gasification; hot synthesis gas characterisation; high temperature filtration / cleaning; catalytic steam reforming; and shift gas catalyst characterisation. Several important and significant results were achieved within CHRISGAS.
- A new piston feeder for biomass to a gasifier was developed and commercialised. This significantly reduces the consumption of inert gas.
- A modified hot gas filter with new features was successfully pilot tested.
- Important knowledge on oxygen / steam-blown biomass CFB gasification, catalytic reforming and WGS process was developed, as well as within other key areas of the thermo-chemical conversion process.
- A special GIS application tool BIORAISE was developed and made available to the public.
- Investment and production costs of complete BTL-plants based on gasification.
Thus the results of the CHRISGAS project will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases and pollutant emissions, increase the security of energy supplies and increase the use of renewable energy in the transport sector when the studied technologies are introduced commercially.
