Black liquor and other biomass gasification and combustion (R&D at ETC)

Hassan Salman

1 Energy Technology Centre ETC, Piteå , Sweden

2 Energy Technology Centre The ETC Bioenergy Laboratory

Smurfit Kappa Kraftliner

ETC Bioenergy Laboratory Chemrec DP1

3 Energy Technology Centre Key facts • Independent non-profit research foundation (started in 1989) • Founded by Piteå Municipality, Luleå University of Technology and the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten • Formal ties with Luleå University of Technology (adjunct professorship and joint PhD students) • Focus on bioenergy and biorefinery • Both applied research (70%) and industrial problem solving and development {consulting} (30%)

4 Energy Technology Centre Research areas at ETC

• Black liquor gasification – CFD modelling – Atomisation and burner optimisation – Large scale experiments • Biomass comb usti on – Particle emissions from combustion – Fuel characterisation – Equipment optimisation • Biomass gasification – Cyclone gasification for CHP – Fixed bed for small scale applications – Entrained flow for syngas production • Biorefinery processes – Catalytic conversion (syngas impurities, methanol, DME) – Lignin precipitation (with KIRAM and SmurfitKappa) – Bio-diesel from tall oil ((gtogether with Sunp ine) – Pyrolysis oil (together with KIRAM)

5 Energy Technology Centre Biorefinery research

• Catalytic conversion of syngas – Methanol – DME • Lignin precipitation from black liquor • Biodiesel from tall oil • Pyrolysis oil • Hydrogen enrichment of syngas – Wind power and electrolysis

6 Energy Technology Centre The pulp mill of tomorrow is a biobio--refineryrefinery

Part of the solution of the greenhouse problem Sustainable use of forest feed stocks with high added value

Timber Wooden products Saw- mill Fuel pellets Bio-refinery Wood chips

Printing Pulp wood Pulp Paper Felling residues mill mill Packaging CHP • Maximises forest value Society • Recycling of paper fibers Recycling of fibres • Utilises existing infra-structure at least 5 times • Sustainable use of forest Chem ical s biomass ”Green” power • Creates jobs in many layers CHP Fuels Biodiesel/DME/Methanol

7 Energy Technology Centre Direct biomass gasification

• EblithlEnabling technology f or: – Combined heat and power production – Synthetic fuels production • Technologies at ETC: – Fluidised bed gasification – Cyclone gasification – Fixed bed – Entrained flow gasification • Fuels: – Wood chips – Powder (wood, bagasse, etc.)

8 Energy Technology Centre Cyclon gasifier (500 kW)

Gas composition Component Vol% H2 8,40

N2 56,45 CO 13,18

CH4 5485,48

CO2 14,95

C2H4 0,88

C2H6 0,03

C2H2 0,68 9 Energy Technology Centre Fluidised bed gasifier (5 kW)

10 Energy Technology Centre Ash agglomeration during slaughter wastes gasification

11 Energy Technology Centre Horisontal powder gasifier (150 KW)

12 Energy Technology Centre Black liquor gasifier

• Neighbor to Smurfit -Kappa Kraftliner pulp mill (Europe’ s largest) • Built in the ETC laboratory, cost about 10 MUSD • Owned and operated by Chemrec AB • 3. 5 MW thermal power (app. 1 ton black liquor/hour)

13 Energy Technology Centre The Chemrec blackblack--liquorliquor gasifier (3500 kW)

BLACK LIQUOR SULFUR REMOVAL COOLING OXYGEN AND WATER ATOMIZING MEDIA

WHITE GAS COOLER LIQUOR

REACTOR RAW GAS

QUENCH

CLEAN, COOL SYNTHESIS GAS GREEN LIQUOR

WEAK CONDENSATE WASH

14 Energy Technology Centre Black liquor

• By-product in pulp production • Lignin (1/3), water (1/3), cooking chemicals and extractives (1/3) • Can be pumped • Heating value ~14 MJ/kg DS (Oil: ~42 MJ/kg) • 40 TWh/year from Swedish pulp mill s ( correspond s t o about 3 million tons of oil)

… is renewable energy 15 Energy Technology Centre Why is black liquorgasification interestinginteresting?? • Black liquor is the largest available biofuel source in Sweden (about 40 TWh/year) • The black liquor energy can be converted with black liquor gasification and catalytic reactions into about 22 TWh/year of synthetic fuel • 22 TWh/year corresponds to about 25% of today’s consumption of petrol and diesel in Sweden • The production cost is about the same as for fossil petrol and diesel before taxes • The potential for cash flow increase at the pulp mills is theref ore >30%

• However: – Black liquor is used for steam generation at the pulp mills – Pulp mills have extreme demands on availability – Any new process must be compatible with efficient pulp production 16 Energy Technology Centre ETC and black liquor gasification • Coor ditfthtildinator for the national research program on black liquor gasification: – ”BLG Program” 2004-2006 (36 MSEK) – ”BLG II Program ” 2007-2009 (40 MSEK)

• Host for the Chemrec 3.5 MW ppygg(ressurised oxygen blown gasifier (DP-1)

17 Energy Technology Centre Partners in the BLG research program

• ETC (coordinator), • Luleå University of Technology (LTU) • Umeå University (UmU) • Chalmers University of Technology (CTH) • STFI • Swedish Corrosion Institute (2004-2006)

18 Energy Technology Centre Experience from DP1

• More than 5 200 hours of operation (May 2007) • Continuous operation Sep 2007 during 22 days stint • Excellent syngas and green liquor quality • Material behaviour as predicted

Typical results:

Component H2 CO CO2 CH4 Molar concentration 43% 30% 26% 1.6%

GifiGasifier pressure 30 30b bar BL flow rate 20 t/d (Design spec.) Source: Chemrec 2008 19 Energy Technology Centre CFD MODELING

20 Energy Technology Centre LDA/PDA measurement of droplets

21 Energy Technology Centre Burner optimisation

Atmospheric Pressurized #1 Pressurized #2 same massflow ratio same momentum flux ratio

22 Energy Technology Centre InIn--situsitumeasurements and advancedchemical analysis of gas and smelt composition Developing measurement probe

23 Energy Technology Centre Results of in-situ measurements

Reactor Pressure

36 37.5 H2 probe 37.0 H2 syngas 35 36.5 34 36.0 (%) 33 (%) 35.5 22 22

H 35.0 CO 32 34.5 31 CO2 probe 34.0 CO2 syngas 30 33.5 10 15 20 25 30 35 10 15 20 25 30 35 Pressure (bar) Pressure (bar)

31 1.45 CO probe H2/CO probe CO syngas 1401.40 H2/CO syngas 30 1.35

29 1.30 2/CO

O (%) 1.25 HH

CC 28 1.20 27 1.15

26 1.10 10 15 20 25 30 35 10 15 20 25 30 35 Pressure (bar) Pressure (bar)

24 Energy Technology Centre Methanol synthesis via Black liquor gasification New research project at ETC and part of Solander Science Park Cooperation between ETC and LTU and gas supply from Chemrec (DP-1) The project is financed by Energimyndigheten Budget: 5.9 MSEK Equipments: 1 MSEK Senior researcher Olov Öhrman/ ETC, Ph.D student Caroline Häggström and Prof. Jonas Hedlund (Chemical technology, LTU)

25 Energy Technology Centre Next steps connected to BLG?

• 2007-2009: Continued process research in the BLG Program (app. 2 MUSD/year for research)

• 2007-2009: Bench scale experiments with synthesis of methanol/DME from real syngas

• 2008-2010: DME-plant, production of 4 ton/day from the Piteå DP1 gasifier

• 2009-2011: Semi commercial black liquor gasifier and synthesis plant for methanol/DME (60 -80 ton/24h)

• 2010-….: Commercial plants in the 150-600 ton/24h scale in Sweden and abroad

• 2030: All Swedish pulp mills converted to BLG

26 Energy Technology Centre