Periodic Reporting for period 1 - F-CUBED (Future Feedstock Flexible Carbon Upgrading to Bio Energy Dispatchable carriers)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2020-05-01 do 2021-10-31
Europe has set out a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% compared to 1990 levels by 2030, and bioenergy produced from residue streams can play a substantial role in reaching this goal. Wet residue streams are a particular challenge: in addition to having low energy values they often require additional processing and treatment for their safe disposal. For example, biological sludges and food waste residue streams total 21 and 99 Mt annually in Europe, representing a significant bioenergy potential. However, these residue streams are often landfilled, incinerated or applied to agricultural land, resulting in economic and environmental challenges.
F-CUBED aims to unlock the bioenergy potential of these low quality, unstable residues by hydrothermally converting a broad range of wet biogenic residues into intermediate bioenergy carriers (fuel pellets or briquettes). These bioenergy carriers have superior energy density, durability and can be stored, thus providing flexibility to the energy system.
The target residue streams in F-CUBED are: biological paper sludge, olive pomace and orange peels. The F-CUBED process consists of a mild hydrothermal treatment (TORWASH technology) that converts the wet biomass streams into dewaterable solids and a digestible liquid effluent. In addition to the production of intermediate bioenergy carriers, the F-CUBED process is also optimized to facilitate the recovery of added-value products, including nutrients (N, P, K) and oils (olive oil, terpenes). Thus, the F-CUBED process turns the environmental and economic challenges of wet biogenic residue streams into an opportunity.
F-CUBED aims to unlock the bioenergy potential of these low quality, unstable residues by hydrothermally converting a broad range of wet biogenic residues into intermediate bioenergy carriers (fuel pellets or briquettes). These bioenergy carriers have superior energy density, durability and can be stored, thus providing flexibility to the energy system.
The target residue streams in F-CUBED are: biological paper sludge, olive pomace and orange peels. The F-CUBED process consists of a mild hydrothermal treatment (TORWASH technology) that converts the wet biomass streams into dewaterable solids and a digestible liquid effluent. In addition to the production of intermediate bioenergy carriers, the F-CUBED process is also optimized to facilitate the recovery of added-value products, including nutrients (N, P, K) and oils (olive oil, terpenes). Thus, the F-CUBED process turns the environmental and economic challenges of wet biogenic residue streams into an opportunity.
Samples of the target feedstocks (paper sludge, olive pomace, orange peels) were provided by the consortium’s industrial partners and characterised based on physical and chemical properties. Lab-scale testing was performed with each residue to determine the optimum TORWASH hydrothermal temperatures for dewatering to dry solid cakes. Extensive pilot testing followed, based on the results of the lab-scale testing. Pilot testing was used to further optimize the TORWASH conditions (temperature, residence time, internal mixing) as well as to fine-tune pre-processing of the residue streams and optimizing the feedstock solids concentration and viscosity. This work culminated in the first on-site long duration test of the F-CUBED process, treating biological paper sludge at the Smurfit Kappa paper mill in Pitea, Sweden. The process was operated for over 400 hours and generated a solid product with approximately 40% solids content without additional chemicals or dewatering aids. This corresponds to a volume reduction of 98.7% of the paper sludge residue. In addition, results indicate the solids are rich in phosphates, which can be extracted (86%) and recovered (91%) via precipitation, although some impurities (Mn, Al, Ca, Mn) were detected. The F-CUBED process for paper sludge represents an improvement on the current process, which uses multiple dewatering aids to produce a solid product of 30 – 35% solids content, with no nutrient recovery.
Long-duration testing with olive pomace was also started in the first reporting period. Preliminary results indicate a volume reduction of 83.3% of the residue stream and solid cakes of 58% dry matter content. In addition, a significant amount of residual olive oil could be recovered during the dewatering stage, which will improve the economics and environmental performance of the process. Finalization of the olive pomace test results, long-duration testing with orange peels, and fuel quality analyses for the intermediate energy carriers produced from all residue streams will be assessed in the next phase of the project.
The settings/boundaries for the life cycle assessment have been defined and a basis of design has been developed for process modelling, value chain assessment and techno-economic evaluation of the process. These models will be finalized in the next project phase.
Several dissemination activities have been conducted to increase the visibility of the project for both the scientific and industrial communities. This includes the preparation of videos about the project and presentations at relevant biomass-related conferences and events. We are focusing on showcasing the relevance and the potential of the F-CUBED project and process.
Long-duration testing with olive pomace was also started in the first reporting period. Preliminary results indicate a volume reduction of 83.3% of the residue stream and solid cakes of 58% dry matter content. In addition, a significant amount of residual olive oil could be recovered during the dewatering stage, which will improve the economics and environmental performance of the process. Finalization of the olive pomace test results, long-duration testing with orange peels, and fuel quality analyses for the intermediate energy carriers produced from all residue streams will be assessed in the next phase of the project.
The settings/boundaries for the life cycle assessment have been defined and a basis of design has been developed for process modelling, value chain assessment and techno-economic evaluation of the process. These models will be finalized in the next project phase.
Several dissemination activities have been conducted to increase the visibility of the project for both the scientific and industrial communities. This includes the preparation of videos about the project and presentations at relevant biomass-related conferences and events. We are focusing on showcasing the relevance and the potential of the F-CUBED project and process.
F-CUBED aims to validate an innovative TORWASH hydrothermal process for the conversion of wet biogenic residues into intermediate bioenergy carriers with superior fuel characteristics, and to scale up the technology from TRL3 to TRL5. A full life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic assessment is conducted on the F-CUBED process and compared to the current (reference) case for residue handling for the target residue streams (paper sludge, olive pomace, orange peels).
The F-CUBED process is a highly feedstock flexible process, which is a key innovative feature. The technology is able to treat a wide variety of wet residue streams with minimal process adjustments between different types of residues. This makes F-CUBED particularly interesting for industries or geographical regions with a variety of wet residue streams that are unevenly distributed and/or seasonal in nature.
In addition, F-CUBED aims to co-extract added-value products during the process or from the products of the process. This includes nutrients (N, P, and K) from all feedstocks tested and residual olive oil from olive pomace and terpenes (especially d-limonene) from orange peels. This improves the overall circularity of the F-CUBED process, as well as improves the economics and environmental impact.
The progress of F-CUBED beyond the state of the art is to develop this process to upgrade biogenic residues into solid bioenergy carriers with an energy density of at least 5.5 GJ/m3 at ambient conditions. This involves a volume reduction of the biogenic residue to the solid product greater than 60% without additional chemicals or dewatering aids, leading also to lower transportation and storage volume requirements. We currently expect that these objectives can be demonstrated in the project.
We expect to show that the F-CUBED process will reduce residue treatment costs by at least 30% relative to current practice and reduce the final levelized cost of bioenergy by 50%. In addition, it is expected that the GHG emissions associated with residue processing, transportation and disposal can be reduced by more than 50%.
The F-CUBED process is a highly feedstock flexible process, which is a key innovative feature. The technology is able to treat a wide variety of wet residue streams with minimal process adjustments between different types of residues. This makes F-CUBED particularly interesting for industries or geographical regions with a variety of wet residue streams that are unevenly distributed and/or seasonal in nature.
In addition, F-CUBED aims to co-extract added-value products during the process or from the products of the process. This includes nutrients (N, P, and K) from all feedstocks tested and residual olive oil from olive pomace and terpenes (especially d-limonene) from orange peels. This improves the overall circularity of the F-CUBED process, as well as improves the economics and environmental impact.
The progress of F-CUBED beyond the state of the art is to develop this process to upgrade biogenic residues into solid bioenergy carriers with an energy density of at least 5.5 GJ/m3 at ambient conditions. This involves a volume reduction of the biogenic residue to the solid product greater than 60% without additional chemicals or dewatering aids, leading also to lower transportation and storage volume requirements. We currently expect that these objectives can be demonstrated in the project.
We expect to show that the F-CUBED process will reduce residue treatment costs by at least 30% relative to current practice and reduce the final levelized cost of bioenergy by 50%. In addition, it is expected that the GHG emissions associated with residue processing, transportation and disposal can be reduced by more than 50%.