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Gas To Liquids Technology (GTL) - Australia's Fuel Future?: Valérie Sage
Gas To Liquids Technology (GTL) - Australia's Fuel Future?: Valérie Sage
Fuel Future?
Valrie Sage
CSIRO Petroleum Resources Gas Processing and Conversion
SPE Engineering Australia Seminar 07.09.2009
Outline
What is GTL ?
What is the current transport fuels situation?
Why using GTL technology to transform natural gas?
GTL Challenges
CSIRO GTL Research
Conclusion
What is GTL ?
The Chemistry Behind GTL
Syngas
production
Hydrocarbon
production
Product
targeting
Fischer Tropsch
Product upgrade
30%
10%
Air Separation
30%
Natural Gas
Oxygen
Reformer /
Partial Oxidation
30%
Syngas
CO + H2
Coal
Gasification
Biomass
Hydrocarbon
+ steam,
CO2, O2
CO + H2
-(CH2)-n
Light HCs
Waxes
Water
CO2
Oxygenates
-(CH2)-n
Syngas Production
Syngas Production
Steam reforming
Dry reforming
Partial oxidation
CH4 + O2 CO + 2H2
Fischer-Tropsch synthesis
n CO + 2n H2 -(CH2)n + H2O
Conditions
Optimum H2:CO = 2:1
Transition metal-based catalyst Fe, Co, Ni, or Ru
High temperature (> 300 C, Fe catalysts)
Low temperature (~ 200 C, Co catalysts)
Pressure > 2 MPa
CSIRO GTL - SPE - Engineering Australia Seminar - 07.09.2009
GTL Products
GTL base oil
Lubricant for vehicle engines, gearboxes and transmissions
GTL kerosene
Cooking, lighting and dry-cleaning fuel
Higher energy density and lower emissions
Tested as a jet fuel in an Airbus A380 flight
GTL naphtha
Higher paraffin content
CSIRO GTL - SPE - Engineering Australia Seminar - 07.09.2009
Fossil Fuels
Oil, Gas, and Coal
Upside
Convenient and versatile
High energy density
Well established global
infrastructure
Easy to transport
Easy and Safe handling
Downside
Finite resource
Major GHG source
Impact on ecosystems
Large capital investments, long
pay-out times
Used as a geopolitical weapon
May get too expensive (Oil)
The median forecast is calculated from 14 models that are predicting a peak before 2020
95% of the predictions sees a production peak between 2008 and 2010 at 77.5 - 85.0 mbpd
Source: The Oil Drum; http://www.theoildrum.com/story/2006/11/13/225447/79
CSIRO GTL - SPE - Engineering Australia Seminar - 07.09.2009
Solar / Wind
Renewable, clean, safe, and unlimited
Issues
Intermittent
Low energy density
Land required
Impact on ecosystem ?
Grid infrastructure not ready
Renewable
Home-grown
CO2-neutral ?
Issues
Products
GTL
XTL
CTL
Transport Fuels
Chemicals
Biomass
BTL
XTL Processes
Process
Gas to Liquid
(GTL)
Coal to Liquid
(CTL)
Biomass to
Liquid
(BTL)
Supply
Abundant reserves,
especially in WA
Large reserves
Supply might be an
issue
GHG Emissions
Comparable to oil
refining
Reduction through
technology improvement
Most promising
technology for GHG
emission reduction
Technology
Industrially proven
but further R&D
required
Further R&D
required
Status
Large scale
industrial units
already in operation
Future
Large plants
planned
Prototype plant
planned
From ASFE Position Paper: Emissions from Synthetic Fuels, Alliance for Synthetic Fuels in Europe (ASFE), January
2007 (http://www.synthetic-fuels.org/documents/20070221124435_ASFE%20Position%20Paper%20on%20Emissions.pdf)
CSIRO GTL - SPE - Engineering Australia Seminar - 07.09.2009
Australian Situation
Government's Energy White Paper
GTL
CTL
Other alternative fuels
CTL
Linc Energy project
Underground coal gasification (UCG)
In-situ conversion of coal to a Syngas (heat, pressure steam)
Syngas converted into Synfuel in FT reactor
GTL
No facility as yet
Focus on production of GTL middle distillate (diesel and jet
fuel)
Benefits of GLT
Security of supply
Available in increasing volumes
Cost effectiveness
Existing infrastructure
Local production
Reduction in crude oil import
Diversification
Stranded and associated gas reserves use
BTL and CTL applications
Economics
Economic viability
Required selling price of the fuel produced through GTL have to
be above the break even mark by a significant amount
GTL Challenges
GTL Challenges
GTL Plant
Large plants
GTL Process
Exothermic and endothermic reaction
Side reactions
Large range of product
Poor selectivity
Syngas production
30%
Oxygen
Steam
Carbon
dioxide
Solar
30%
Synfuel production
Product upgrade
30%
10%
GTL Opportunities
Reduce costs (capital and operational)
Reduce plant footprint
Plant usable for small operations
Associated gas (on or off-shore)
Stranded gas reserves (on or off-shore)
Project Outcomes
Security of supply of
Synfuels
Cost effective production of
Synfuels
Valorisation of Australias
stranded natural gas
reserves
Diversification to other
feedstock (biomass, coal)
H2 production
Synthetic fuel production
Fischer-Tropsch
synthesis
Methanol
synthesis
Natural gas
Coal
Biomass
Non-conventional
GTL
Pre-sequestration
gas separations
Product upgrade
Reactor design
Shift from fixed-bed reactor to slurry phase process
Improved heat removal efficient mixing
Gas recycling
Reduced plant footprint and capital cost
Process optimisation
Reaction conditions
Use of additives
Conclusion
Overall
Objectives of 20% energy production from renewable
resources by 2020
Fossil and Synthetic Transport Fuels are going to be
with us for a long time
Need other sources of energy diversification
Australia has real individual issues that chemists and
chemical engineers have to meet
Security of Supply
There is a real need to focus on these to ensure a fuel
supply for the future
CSIRO GTL - SPE - Engineering Australia Seminar - 07.09.2009
GTL benefits
Security of supply
Valorisation of stranded and off-shore gas reserves
Use of existing infrastructure
Develop a cost effective production of synthetic fuels
High performance fuels
Decrease of pollutant emissions
Build capability
Diversification
Platform for Biomass to Liquids (BTL) and Coal to Liquids
(CTL) products development
Production of other products such as oxygenates
CSIRO GTL - SPE - Engineering Australia Seminar - 07.09.2009
Thank you
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