What Makes a Biorefinery

Carbon Negative?
Carbon Negative
CO2 Bioenergy

Webinar Presentation
March 31, 2011
 !"#$%&'(&
•  The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) has
been a leading voice for energy reform to protect the
quality of life and treasured places in the Southeast for
over 25 years. Founded in 1985, SACE is the only
regional organization primarily focused on developing
clean energy solutions throughout the Southeast.

•  As we look towards the future, SACE’s commitment to

preserve, restore and protect our environment through
the use of innovative technology, grassroots and
grasstops education, and pioneer policy work remains
steadfast.

!"#$%"&'&%"%!"(&)&*'+"&'#*,$-&.&///0123453536780967&
:$;;$<&=>&.&?/@A36019BC12345353678967&
D$,-&*E"&#$-F"(>'*,$-&95&:413G99H
("'I&%$("&.&G2970123453536780967C&
 www.tri-inc.net

Advanced Clean Technology for Biomass Conversion to Bioenergy, Fuels, and Chemicals

March 31, 2011

Webinar: What Makes a Biorefinery Carbon Negative?

 What Makes a Biorefinery C Negative

!! Intro to TRI
!! What is a Biorefinery
!! Process Demonstration Unit (PDU)
!! Thermochemical Platform
!!Biomass to Drop-in Fuels
!!Biomass to Products
!!Key attributes
!! Commercial Demonstration
!! TRI Thermochemical biorefinery model and projects
!! Efficiency in Utilization of Biomass

www.tri-inc.net
 Corporate Overview

Advanced technologies for the conversion of biomass to

bio-fuels, bio-chemicals and renewable power
!!Formed in 1996
!!Proprietary steam reforming gasification system developed
with over $50 million of R&D investment
!!State of the art Pilot facilities in North Carolina
!!Proven at commercial scale for semi-chem black liquor
gasification
!!Commercializing the Integrated Biorefinery Platform via two
DOE supported integrated biorefineries

www.tri-inc.net
 Integrated Biorefinery

Energy Host High Value Products

Forest
Residuals

Gasifier GTL Renewable Energy

Agricultural
Wastes
Char

www.tri-inc.net
 Thermochemical Biomass to Fuels

Diesel/Jet Fuel

Fischer-Tropsch
Gas to Liquids

!! Superheated steam reacts endothermically (consumes heat) with the carbonaceous components of
the biomass to produce syngas:
H2O + C + Heat ! H2 + CO
(steam reforming reaction)
!! Water-gas shift reactions occur simultaneously to yield additional hydrogen and carbon dioxide:
H2O + CO ! H2 + CO2
(water-gas shift reaction)
www.tri-inc.net
 Options for Bio-Based Products
BIOMASS

Steam & Power Gasifier

Boiler Ethanol
Gas Turbine
Combined Cycle
Syngas
Fischer- Wax
IC Engine Power Gen Tropsch
Diesel/
Fuel Cells Kerosene
Methanol

Refinery Gasoline
Hydrotreating Hydrogen Formaldehyde
Naphtha
Transportation
Fuels Methyl Acetate Acetic Acid DME

Gasoline
Fuel Cells Acetic Ethylene
Anhydride Propylene

Chemicals
VAM Ketene Acetic Esters Polyolefins

Fertilizers
Diketene &
PVA Oxy Chemicals
Derivatives

www.tri-inc.net
 Feedstock Flexibility
Product Optionality

Refinery

Agricultural Forest
Wastes Residuals GTL

Chemicals

Energy
Crops
Transportation
Kilns, Fuels
Boilers,
etc.
MSW

RDF
Lignite
Green
Gas Turbine Power

Sludge

www.tri-inc.net
 TRI’s Steam Reforming of Biomass
Technology and Attributes

H2 rich
!! Pulse Heater Steam Reforming Syngas
!! High quality, medium calorific
value syngas
!! Customized syngas composition
for specific downstream
processing Clean
!! Complete feedstock flexibility Fuel Flue
!! Reformer supplies all of its own Gas
energy
!! Inherently stable and safe
!! Scalable
Biomass

Bed Fluidizing
Solids Steam
www.tri-inc.net
 Feedstocks Tested to Date

Solid Biomass Wastes

Wood residuals, chips and Refuse Derived Fuel
saw dust Municipal and mill sludge
Ag Residuals
Swine waste Spent Liquors
Poultry litter Kraft
Rice hulls Sulfite
Grape plant prunings Soda
Pistachio nut shells Straw
Olive waste Distillery spent wash
Switch grass pellets
Low Rank Coal
Lignite, sub bituminous coal

www.tri-inc.net
 Process Demonstration Unit
Durham, NC

!!Located at Southern Research Clean

Energy Development Center
!!Capacity; 4 dtpd biomass, 1MW thermal
!!Scope
!!Biomass feed
!!Biomass gasification
!!Primary syngas clean-up
!!Compression and secondary gas clean-up
!!FT liquids production
!!Capable of providing high value, clean syngas to
essentially any downstream catalytic process.

www.tri-inc.net
 Process Demonstration Unit (PDU)

Biomass Feed
System

Steam
Reformer

Carbon Trim
Cell

Gas Clean Up
System

FT GTL

www.tri-inc.net
 Process Demonstration Unit Accomplishments

!! All the subsystems and unit operations of a biorefinery are

represented in the PDU
!! Trials have been conducted to support commercial
performance projections for the DOE-supported Wisconsin
projects
!! Over 6,300 hours cumulative operation on gasifier and
biomass feed systems
!! Approaching 1,700 hours of integrated
operation, Biomass to FT liquids
!! Performed trials on NC woody biomass,
sawdust, bark, hay and chips
!! Trials planned for agricultural
residuals (switchgrass and
sorghum well-suited to NC) and RDF

www.tri-inc.net
 Commercial Scale Plant - 2003

!! Norampac, Inc.- Owned by Cascades, Canada’s largest

containerboard manufacturer
!! Trenton is a zero effluent mill producing 500 tpd corrugating medium
!! Design Capacity: 115 TPD
of Spent Liquor Solids –
equivalent to 500 dry TPD
solid biomass
TRI Reformer

www.tri-inc.net
 Flambeau River Biofuels Project
Park Falls, Wisconsin

!! Over 100 year old paper mill

!! Primary employer in the region
!! Entrepreneurial leader with bold vision
!! Awarded $80 million DOE grant for demonstration biorefinery
!! Capacity; 1,000 dtpd forest waste biomass
!! Multiple products
!! 9.5 million gallons per year diesel fuel
!! 7.6 million gallons per year paraffin
!! 5.3 MW of green electricity
!! Steam and hot water to paper mill

www.tri-inc.net
 NewPage Corporation: Project Independence
Wisconsin Rapids, WI

!! Large, integrated pulp and paper mill

!! Primary employer in the region
!! Awarded $50 million DOE grant
for demonstration biorefinery
!! Capacity: 500 dry tons per day waste wood biomass
!! Multiple Products
!! 8.5 million gallons/yr FT liquids
!! 180 MMBTU/HR steam and
hot water to paper mill

www.tri-inc.net
 Integrated Biorefinery

Integrated Biorefinery Concept

Diverse Feedstocks to a Wide Range of Products
Integrated with an Energy Host for Maximum Efficiency
!!Feedstock Flexibility
!!Product Optionality
!!Integrated Implementation Strategies

www.tri-inc.net
 Integrated Biorefinery

65-75% Overall Thermal Efficiency

Forest
Residuals

Gasifier Synthesis

Agricultural
Wastes
Char

www.tri-inc.net
 Greenfield Biorefinery

MSW Lo Temp Clean

Exhaust Steam Turbine

HRSG
HP Steam
RDF
Hi Temp Exhaust

Condenser

Energy
Crops Gas Turbine
Green Power

Dryer
TRI
Reformer
HRSG & Syngas
Clean-up Synthesis Biofuel /
Plant Biochemicals
Tail Gas
Forest
Residuals

www.tri-inc.net
 Sustainability – Best use of wood

!! Biomass is finite – sustainable biomass even more so

!! Estimates vary widely and many address sustainability differently
!! Growers are conservative and need to be
!! Biomass needs to be used in a way that maximizes its economic impact
!! Value hierarchy starts at wood products, paper, chemicals, fuels, thermal
energy
!! Economic impact maximized with products that turnover
!! Policy for maximum economic value on a sustainable basis is complex
!! What are the goals? Distributed biorefineries for rural benefit? Fuels vs
Chemicals vs Power?
!! What incentives will work?
!! What policies should we target? Are there any unintended consequences?
!! The intelligent use of carbon will define how negative it really is

www.tri-inc.net
 Questions?
Refinery

Agricultural Forest
Wastes Residuals GTL

Chemicals

Energy
Crops
Transportation
Kilns, Fuels
Boilers,
etc.
MSW

RDF
Lignite
Green
Gas Turbine Power

Sludge

ThermoChem Recovery Int’l, Inc.

3700 Koppers St. Suite 405
Baltimore, MD 21227
Ph 410.525.2400
www.tri-inc.net
 NC Farm Center for Innovation
and Sustainability
6,000 acre Sustainable Farming
Demonstration Center
Location: Near Fayetteville, NC, in
Cumberland and Bladen counties.

BIOCHAR DEMONSTRATION
PROGRAM Preliminary Findings with
Biochar:
•! Sandy Soils-Coastal Plain
•! Soil Amendment
•! Row Crops
•! Improved Production

Contact: Richard Perritt Ph.D.

Executive Director.
www.ncfarmcenter.org
Funded by a USDA/NRCS 2009
Conservation Innovation Grant
!"#$%&'#"()*(&#+)#,&-.%*((&#$%&'#
!"#$%&'()'"&*+,&')-%).-/-'0*1-'2*3%%$4)5$%#
/#0*&(%'#1(2*+&%3+)###/#4)*()2-.(#$++5#"&+6#,&+5783+)####
/#9&%-)-):#"+''7)-*;#$%&'(&2#<#=(*(&%)2#
/#0+>%&#?)(&:;#@+&#4&&-:%3+)###/#1++A+6#B%*(&#C%&.(23):###/#D)5(&:&+7)5#B%*(&#0*+&%:(#
 Making Biochar: Patient / Cautious
Farmer or Buyer
Continuous or Batch Beware !
 Subsurfer - Banding Biochar
(one method of land application)
EFGF#H-(>5#I%*%#@+&#4&&-:%*(5#I('+#,>+*2J#BK(%*L#"+&)L#0+;M(%)2#<#"+N+)#
Treatment Wheat Corn Soybeans Cotton lbs./
bushels/ bushels/acre bushels/acre acre
acre

!+#O-+8K%&#+&# !"#$!% "&#'(% $"#)% ("(#*&%

$(&3>-P(&##
0*%)5%&5# (!#$(% !+)#'!% )&#'% &,'#*,%
"K('-8%>#!,Q#
$(&3>-P(&#

97&R(;#S-N(&# ',#$+% !+!#+,% ('#)% +(*#*,%

T>+)(#
0U-)(#V%)7&(# ')#'&% !((#'+% $!#&% ''&#)(%
T>+)(#
O-+8K%&#,>72# '&#&'% !+)#'(% (!#(% '!&#)$%
97&R(;#S-N(&#
O-+8K%&#,>72# ''#+)% !(+#&)% ),#)% +")#''%
0U-)(#V%)7&(#
-./01%2345678%936:;7%3<%=6;%%
 !"#$%&'()&'*"+,(-."+,(#+/0&'*(1##23(4"#*&..(5#(4"#$%&'(
6787()&'*(89+59'(:(;'"<&599'()&'*(

!"#*&..(
%&'<9.=+,(
0'#*(1">2>"09(
$#''"2#'.((
D'&+.09'(5#(
0&'*9'E((<"&(8#.5F49+9G5(
&+&>3.".H(G9>2(29*#+.5'&=#+.H((
%&+24##I.H((*&'I9=+,(?&$I&,9( 8%"??"+,((
@#+(."59A(

!"#$%&'(
&??>"$&=#
B5#'&,9(
+(
@2'3"+,A(

C+(/()&'*(
;3'#>3.".(
!! Continue to test biochar as soil amendment on row crops.

!! Analyze more soil and water retention qualities, vary feedstocks.

!! Consider blended combinations such as composts plus biochar.

!! Improve farm-scale technologies for production and techniques

for land applications.

!! Consider centralized sources of biochar, i.e., cooperatives.

!! Promote Adoption: More targeted outreach for farming

community, benefit-costs analysis, create biochar user groups,
meetings-conferences.

!! Contact us to exchange ideas! http://www.ncfarmcenter.org

 !"#$%&'($()*+,-)%.+$%/'-01"*%*-%2-0%/2%%

34(+$(%5-)$#6('%7+8#)1%+%6-)+,-)%*-6+29%%%

34(+$(%:#$#*%-0'%.(/$#*(%+*%...;54(+)()('12;-'1%
+)6%-0'%/4-1%+*%"<&=>>/4-1;54(+)()('12;-'1%