Enhanced Energy Security with Major Ghg Emission Reductions: Coal/Biomass to Liquids

ENHANCED ENERGY SECURITY WITH MAJOR GHG EMISSION REDUCTIONS: COAL/BIOMASS TO LIQUIDS Thomas Tarka, DOE/NETL, 412-386-5354, [email protected] John Wimer, DOE/NETL, 412-386-5354, [email protected] Kenneth Kern, DOE/NETL, 412-386-5753, [email protected] Jeffrey Hoffmann, DOE/NETL, 412-386-5354, [email protected] Maria Vargas, DOE/NETL, 412-386-5753, [email protected] Peter Balash, DOE/NETL, 412-386-5753, [email protected] David Gray, Noblis, 703-610-2144, [email protected] Overview This work presents the results of a two-year systems and life cycle analysis of coal and biomass to liquids (CBTL) technology, undertaken by the National Energy Technology Laboratory. This technology pathway centers on a process that uses two existing technologies (gasification and Fisher-Tropsch liquids) to convert domestically available feedstock – coal and biomass – into synthetic transportation fuels. The key advantages of this technology are enhanced energy security, economic sustainability, and significantly reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as abundant domestic feedstock are converted into transportation fuels at more than competitive cost. This work builds upon the work of Williams (2006) to provide an advantageous comparison of GHG emissions from CTL w/CCS compared to a baseline U.S. refinery, in contrast to Farrell (2006) and EPA (2007), and offers a balanced, positive way forward to emerge from the energy security/climate change conundrum facing the United States.

Methods

Detailed process models were developed to assess the performance of various representative CBTL and CTL plant configurations. Aspen Plus, the industry standard chemical process modelling tool, was used for process modelling, and these were developed based on chemical industry experience, operating data provided by industry and vendors, or information found in the literature. The economic performance of these plants was based on detailed cost estimates obtained from vendors and previous studies published by NETL. A limited Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) was performed to deteremine the GHG emissions of the fuels produced by the CBTL/CTL plants in accordance with current methodology utilized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2 Intelligent Well Technology: Status and Opportunities for Developing Marginal Reserves SPE

Results

Cost of product fuels are equate to $75-$85 crude oil equivalence depending upon biomass use and capture stringency within the CTL process. With aggressive CO2 capture (95%), CTL without biomass can reduce CO2 emissions per unit of fuel produced by 7% to 20% compared to standard U.S. refinery output. In coal/biomass configurations, CBTL plants produce fuels with 60% lower GHG emissions than standard petroleum.

Conclusions

Coal to Liquids (CTL) with aggressive CO2 capture (up to 95%) competitively produces liquid fuels at scale large enough to make a significant improvement in U.S. energy security, while reducing supply-side CO2 emissions. Since cost is extremely competitive compared to the prices of petroleum-based fuels, the process represents potential for creation of a significant new, long-term industry and jobs for the U.S. As CBTL, the process combines the scale advantages of coal and the GHG properties of biomass with sequestration to produce dramatically less carbon-intensive fuel. Even further reductions of CO2 can be contemplated in the future with adequate carbon capture of photosynthetic CO2 while simultaneously crediting capture through soil/root carbon of the biomass utilized, potentially optimizing the nation’s biomass supply not just for CO2 neutral purposes but for the purpose of removing existing CO2 from the atmosphere at significant scale.

These reduced emissions represent a unique opportunity for GHG emissions reduction from the transportation sector. This sector is responsible for the most emissions of any US economic sector (34%) but devoid of near- to mid-term opportunities for emissions reductions

References Williams, Robert H., Larson, Eric D., and Haiming Jin, “Synthetic Fuels in a World with High Oil and Carbon Prices,” 8th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, Trondheim, Norway, 19-22 June 2006

Farrell, Alexander E. ,and A.R. Brandt, 2006 “Risks of the Oil Transition” Environmental Research Letters, 1(1).

Environmental Protection Agency, April 2007, Regulation of Fuel and Fuel Additives: Renewable Fuel Standard Program, Chapter 8: Impacts on Fossil Fuel Consumption and Greenhouse Gases. EPA420-R-07-006.