The bioCRACK Process

– a refinery integrated biomass-to-liquid concept to produce

diesel from biogenic feedstock
Edgar AHN, CSO Genf; 13-4-2016
BDI - BioEnergy International AG
Outline

 BDI at a glance
 bioCRACK Concept
 Pilot Plant & Results
 GHG-Saving Potential
 Outlook

2
 BDI Headquarters

BDI - BioEnergy International AG

Parkring 18
8074 Raaba-Grambach / Graz
Austria / Europe
[Link]
bdi@[Link]

3
 BDI at a glance

Austrian based, highly professional plant

engineering and construction company

Tailor-made turn-key solutions

Own biodiesel & biogas technologies

“from waste to value“

More than 40 reference plants

on 4 continents, since 1991

Strong in-house r & d

(5 – 10% of annual revenue)

Key figures:
Staff: 125 employees
Turnover: € 30 - 40 Mio
Equity ratio: approx. 60%
Stock listed in Frankfurt

4
bioCRACK - Motivation

 Continuous development of Benchmark-Technologies for Biofuel

production

 Technically simple process for the production of

Next Generation Biofuel

 Conversion of biogenic waste & residues

from „non-food“ areas into
high-quality Biofuel

5
bioCRACK - Project Goals

 Compliance of current quality

standards in final fuel product

 Useable side-products,
no waste streams

 Integrable in conventional
process of mineral oil refining

 Liquid phase pyrolysis

(liquefaction of solid biomass)

 Co-processing of intermediate
product in refinery (heavy ends)
and solid Biomass

6
 bioCRACK History

Start Coop. with OMV, Continuous

Engineering pilot plant test runs (24h/5d)
Construction &
Start-up of test plant start-up
(6kg/h); Test trials 2013/14
Start basic research of
liquid phase pyrolysis
2010/11/12
2008/9
2007
7
bioCRACK - Concept

Typical pathways from lignocellulosis to biofuel

Liquid phase pyrolysis (LPP)

Source: [Link].2006,106,4044ff
8
bioCRACK - Concept

In liquid phase pyrolysis (LPP) a hot liquid is used as heat carrier

Pro: Cons:
 Moderate process conditions (ambient  Limitation in maximum temperature
pressure, temperature <450°C)  Limited conversion from solid to fuel
 Simple concept compared to other  Challenging separation task solid/liquid
BtL-technologies  Utilisation of by-products necessary
 Heat recovery possible  Cracking of the heat carrier oil
 Usage of standard industrial equipment
 Time to market short
 Direct conversion from solid biomass to Chance for integrated process
liquid hydrocarbon in standard refinery

To succeed with LPP one needs to use a heat carrier oil where
cracking is desired!
9
bioCRACK - Process Scheme

Gas

liquid phase pyrolysis (LPP)

Biomass Carrier oil
Pyrolysis oil

Raw fuel

Diesel with
renewable content

Biochar

10
bioCRACK - Refinery Integration

refinery bioCRACK refinery

LF/MD
gas steam, power
processing
Crude oil

CHP
Heavy oil
fraction
gasoline, lower HC
heavy oil fraction FCC
biomass
steam bioCRACK process
reaction water
power
WWT
Utilities

cooling water
raw fuel Hydro- diesel
nitrogen genation
pyrolysis
oil
biochar

11
bioCRACK Partners

BDI – BioEnergy International AG

OMV Refining and Marketing GmbH

Institute of Chemical Engineering and Environmental

Technology
Prof. Dr. M. Siebenhofer

Austrian Climate & Energy Fund

“New Energies 2020”

12
 bioCRACK Pilot Plant

Facts and figures

 Project duration: April 2010 - 2014
 Project cost: € 7 Mio (Grand by Austrian Climate
and Energy Fund: € 2,0 Mio.)
 Dimensions: basis: 7,5x7m, height: 21,5m
 Steelwork: 60 tons
 Pipes: >2.000 m
 I/O: > 700
 Engineering demand: ~ 17.000 hours
 Feed capacity: 100 kg/h biomass and
1000 kg/h heavy oil
 Pressure: atmospheric
 Temperature: up to 400°C

13
bioCRACK Pilot Plant

Integrated pilot plant at the OMV refinery Schwechat/Austria

14
bioCRACK - Feedstock

Ideal biomass for bioCRACK is renewable lignocelluloses

+ Low water content
+ Low nitrogen, chlorine, toxics
+ Fine particle size (<5mm) possible

Examples:
o Wood chips (soft and hard wood)
o Forestry residues
o Chopped straw/agricultural residue
o …..

Biomass contains up to 50% oxygen in complex molecular

structure. Oxygen is unwanted element in liquid fuels and has to
be removed to reach requested fuel quality!
Source: internet

15
 bioCRACK - detailed C14 Balance

Bio-carbon transfer in streams (H06, 375°C)

Results from bioCRACK pilot plant Schwechat

Feedstock: spruce

16
 bioCRACK - Diesel Fuel

Upgrading of raw diesel to EN590 quality is possible

Parameter Untreated raw diesel After hydro treatment EN 590

Density (15°C) 868 kg/m³ 833 kg/m³ 820 - 845 kg/m³
Viscosity (40°C) 2,53 mm²/s n.a. 2 - 4,5 mm²/s
Cetan 44 53 > 51
C/H/O 85/13/2 wt.% 86/14/0 wt.% n.a.
Volatile <350°C 83 wt.% 86 wt.% > 85 % (v/v)
Sulfur 177 mg/kg 3 mg/kg < 10 mg/kg

Results from bioCRACK pilot plant and hydrogenation at OMV/Schwechat

Feedstock: spruce

17
bioCRACK - Biochar

Analysis of biomass (spruce) and biochar

Biomass
Biochar
(spruce)
Carbon [wt.%] 50 81
Hydrogen [wt.%] 6.3 5.4
Nitrogen [wt.%] 0.0 0.3
Rest (Oxygen + Ash) [wt.%] 44.2 13.4

Utilisation:  Renewable solid fuel for combustion

 Additive in steel industry, construction material,....
 Fertilizer and carbon sink
 Further upgrading to transportation fuel

18
 bioCRACK - Pyrolysis Oil

Dehydration of bioCRACK pyrolysis oil is possible

Pyrolysis Oil
Pyrolysis Oil Crude Oil1
dehydrated
Water Content [wt.%] 50 8 0.1
Lower Calorific Value [kJ/kg] 8700 29000 43100

Carbon [wt.%] 22 72 83 - 86
Hydrogen [wt.%] 10 9 11 - 14
Oxygen [wt.%] 68 19 <1
Nitrogen [wt.%] <1 <1 <1
Utilisation:  Renewable liquid fuel for combustion 1Mortensen et al., Applied Catalysis A: General, 407 (2011)

 Source for chemicals

 Further upgrading to transportation fuel
19
Comparison to Other Biofuels in
Austria

Source: JOANNEUM RESEARCH (2008 – 2014)

20
bioCRACK Industrial Scale -
Layout
 Capacity:
400.000 to/y BM
 60.000 to/y biofuels
I Total Area: 235.000m2
 Area I:
III Multi-Feedstock biomass
feedstock preparation,
 Area II:
bioCrack Refining 1-4,
Product treatment (BCO,
II FCO, PYO), TOL
Conditioning
 Area III:
Energy central station,
bioChar treatment

21
bioCRACK Outlook

 Completion of r&d project: end-2015

(incl. dismantling of pilot plant)

 Up-scaling to demonstration plant

 pre-engineering

 GHG-saving potential

 Profitable implementation in refineries

 Licensing

 Extension project „bioBOOST“:

value-adding utilization of side-product
streams (esp. Pyrolysis oil)

22
Ongoing Research & Development

23