PRODUCTION, TREATMENT AND UTILIZATION OF BIO-OILS FROM PYROLYSIS, FOR ENERGY AND ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND CHEMICALS

Project Information

Grant agreement ID: AIR21086

Project closed

Start date 1 November 1993

End date 31 October 1996

Funded under

• Specific research and technological development and demonstration programme (EEC) in the field of agriculture and agro-industry, including fisheries, 1990-1994

Total cost € 1 678 590,00

EU contribution € 942 765,00

Coordinated by

Union Fenosa
Spain

Objective

- The optimization of the Waterloo Flash Pyrolysis Process (WFPP) at the pilot plant level, enabling a techno-economical evaluation of this technology.

- The search for practical and sound applications of this pyrolytic oil, also investigating its possible energetic and industrial uses.

In order to fulfil the mentioned objectives the following tasks are being carried out:

1. Optimization of the Union Fenosa pyrolysis pilot plant including the production of suitable quality pyrolysis oils. A number of different kinds of biomass will be used.

2. These oils will be analyzed, characterised and compared to other pyrolytic oils.

3. The bio-oils will be upgraded, or treated so as to improve its characteristics or to obtain other refined oils.

4. The bio-oil will be used as fuel and tested in machines such as diesel engines and combustion chambers.

5. The bio-oil will be submitted to certain separation processes, in order to obtain different chemicals that have a high added value and can be used as substitutes for fuel additives.

The first period of the project has been basically devoted to the operation and optimization of the Union Fenosa pyrolysis plant. Significant quantities of bio-oil have been produced and several improvements of the process implemented in the plant. This is resulting in a progressive increase in the production capacity of the installation as well as a product of better quality.

The main objectives for the next period in the operation of the plant is to further optimize the technology, to use various biomass types as feedstock, and to obtain data to carry out detailed mass and energy balances of the process. Bio-oil samples have been regularly sent to the Université Catholique de Louvain who is doing basic and in depth characterization of the product obtaining a useful feedback for the optimization of the process. Significant quantities of bio-oil have been sent to both VTT and CPERI who have initiated works on various aspects of the utilization of pyrolysis oils for energy and extraction of valuable fractions respectively. Thermocatalysis related works will be initiated soon by VEBA OEL after receiving the bio-oil samples from Union Fenosa.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › energy and fuels
• agricultural sciences › agricultural biotechnology › biomass

Programme(s)

• FP3-AIR - Specific research and technological development and demonstration programme (EEC) in the field of agriculture and agro-industry, including fisheries, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

• 325 - Bioenergy

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

Union Fenosa

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: Capitan Haya 53 ; 28020 Madrid ; Spain
• Total cost: No data

Participants (4)

CHEMICAL PROCESS ENGINEERING RESEARCH INST.

Greece

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: P.O. BOX 1517 ; 54006 THESSALONIKI
• Total cost: No data

UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN

Belgium

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: PLACE DE L'UNIVERSITE 1 ; 1348 LOUVAIN-LA-NEUVE
• Total cost: No data

VEBA OEL AG

Germany

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: ALEXANDER-VON-HUMBOLDT-STRASSE ; 4650 GELSENKIRCHEN
• Total cost: No data

VTT

Finland

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: P.O. BOX 100 ; 2151 ESPOO
• Total cost: No data