Renewable gasoline

By -

Section: ADVANCED BIOFUELS

Renewable gasoline (also known as biogasoline and green gasoline) is a biomass-derived transportation fuel suitable for use in spark-ignition engines.
Key characteristics:
- It is chemically equivalent to petroleum-derived gasoline.
- It is suitable for use in conventional cars and without requiring engine modifications.
- It can use the existing petroleum fuel pipeline structures and retail distribution systems. No special handling, storage and use requirements.
- It can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The intensity of the reduction depends on the feedstock and the production technology.
- It must meet international fuel specifications (ASTM D4814 in the United States and EN 228 in Europe).

Figure 1. Renewable gasoline (also known as biogasoline and green gasoline) is a biomass-derived transportation fuel suitable for use in spark-ignition engines (taken from the twitter profile of @BioGasoline)

Projects

1. Gasification followed by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Red Rock Biofuels LLC (RRB)
Type of project: Commercial biorefinery.
Status: Under construction. Starting of the works: 2018. Operations planned to start in 2020.
Location: Lakeview (Oregon, USA).
Feedstock: 136,000 tons of waste woody biomass gathered from thinning projects.
Products: 15.1 million gallons of renewable fuels (jet fuel, diesel and gasoline).
Related posts:
- “Red Rock Biofuels commences construction of its biorefinery in Oregon”, 9/5/2018.
- “Emerging Fuels Technology to supply increased FT capacity for Red Rock Biofuels biorefinery”, 7/3/2019.

Figure 2. Units of the RRB concept (taken from “Bio-gasoline refinery for ac circular economy”, Corporate Presentation of Rainforest Energy Corp.)

Wood2Gasoline - TIGAS Integrated Biorefinery
In 2014, Haldor Topsoe, Inc. integrated the Andritz Carbona Gasification and GTI/Uhde Morphysorb proprietary processes with its TIGAS technology to produce renewable gasoline from woody biomass.
The project took place within Gas Technology Institute’s Gasification Testing Complex in Des Plaines (Illinois).
More than 10,000 gallons of 92-octane biogasoline were produced for fleet testing. Results were excellent, there was no difference in emissions, mileage or engine wear. In 2015, the green-gasoline blend was registered by EPA as an approved motor fuel.
TIGAS (Topsoe Improved Gasoline Synthesis).

2. Gasification followed by modified methanol-to-gasoline (MTG)

Rainforest Energy Corp.
Type of project: Commercial biorefinery.
Status: Under planning.
Proposed locations: Maine (USA) / Alberta (Canada).
Feedstocks: Logging slash piles, end-of-life railroad ties, agricultural residue, natural gas.
Products: 94-octane gasoline, surplus power, clean water, heat, CO2.

Figure 3. Units of the Rainforest concept (taken from “Bio-gasoline refinery for ac circular economy”, Corporate Presentation of Rainforest Energy Corp.)

3. Alcohol-to-gasoline

Ekobenz
Type of project: Commercial biorefinery.
Status: Running.
Location: Bogumiłów, near Łódź (Poland).
Feedstock: Bioethanol.
Products: 22,500 metric tons of gaseous biohydrocarbons, liquid biohydrocarbons (<210ºC) and aromatic biohydrocarbons (>210ºC).
Related post: Bogumiłów Ethanol-To-Gasoline plant.

Figure 4. Simplified flow diagram of the Ekobenz process (courtesy of Ekobenz)

4. Isooctane blends

The isooctane structure has a strand of eight carbons. It is a hydrocarbon used to make premium-grade gasolines and it shows excellent blend properties: low Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP), high octane rating and energy density.

Gevo

Gevo has made the winning bid in a competitive process conducted by the City of Seattle to provide renewable gasoline to its fleet vehicles. Gevo has been awarded a four year contract, with three two-year extensions, to supply at minimum 200,000 gallons/year of renewable isobutanol and 600,000 gallons/year renewable isooctane  to the City of Seattle to displace fossil-based gasoline.
Related post: “HCS Group and Gevo sign agreement for the purchase and sale of renewable isooctane”, 1/3/2019.

The isooctane is derived from corn-based isobutanol. The company produces RG50, a 50% blend of isooctane. They are also working on additional products with the objective of replacing the whole gallon with a 100% renewable gasoline in the coming years.

Global Bioenergies

The German carmaker Audi is working with Global Bioenergies and the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes (Fraunhofer CBP) to develop an alternative gasoline as a contribution to reduce the automotive carbon footprint. The “e-benzin” (e-gasoline), as they call it themselves, is a liquid isooctane that is currently produced from biomass in a two-step process. In the first step, Global Bioenergies produces gaseous isobutene (C4H8). In the second step, Fraunhofer CBP uses hydrogen to transform the isobutene into isooctane (C8H18). The final product is a high-purity synthetic fuel free of sulfur and benzene, therefore, it is especially low in pollutants when it burns.

Popular Posts

Biofuels from algae

By -
Image
In my opinion, the production of biofuels and biobased chemicals from algae is one of the most fascinating topics in the sector of the biorefineries and it will be one of the niches of opportunity with highest potential in the medium and the long terms. This post pretend to be a very basic approach to the topic Algae-to-Biofuels through three general key points. Algae 1,2,3,4,5 Algae include a wide variety of photosynthetic organisms capable of transforming light, water and specific nutrients into products that can be used with commercial and industrial purposes. We can say that algae are sunlight-driven factories with potential to convert CO 2 into biofuels, high-value biochemical, food and feed. There are four algae cultivation technologies currently in use for commercial algae cultivation and proposed for algal biofuel production: extensive or open ponds, intensive or raceway ponds, closed photobioreactors in many designs and closed fermenter systems. Algal biof
Read more

Hidrotratamiento (HVO) – Conceptos, materias primas y especificaciones

By -
Image
English version Sección: BIOCOMBUSTIBLES AVANZADOS Serie: HVO - Hidrotratamiento (HVO) – Conceptos, materias primas y especificaciones - Hidrotratamiento(HVO) – Ventajas sobre el biodiesel convencional y propiedades - Biorrefinerías de Aceites Vegetales Hidrotatados (HVO) – El auge del diésel renovable - Entradas: HVO                El acrónimo HVO significa en inglés “ Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils ” (“Aceites Vegetales Hidrotratados”) o ” Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils ” (“Aceites Vegetales Hidrogenados”). Clave del proceso: Tratamiento con hidrógeno. En el proceso de producción de HVO, el hidrógeno se usa para eliminar el oxígeno de los triglicéridos produciendo una mezcla de parafinas lineales, CO 2 y agua. Posteriormente, el producto de la primera etapa se isomeriza, siempre en presencia de hidrógeno, para ramificar las cadenas lineales con el propósito de mejorar las propiedades de flujo en frío de los productos finales. Por tanto, los HVO son
Read more

Biorrefinerías de FDCA (ácido 2,5-furanodicarboxílico)

By -
Image
Fecha de publicación: 15/06/2017 Última actualización: 24/01/2018 Introducción 1,2,3,4,5 El ácido 2,5-furanodicarboxílico (FDCA, por sus siglas en inglés), también conocido como ácido ácido piromúcico, es un compuesto orgánico que fue detectado por primera vez en la orina humana. De hecho, una persona sana genera 3-5 mg/día. Se trata de un compuesto muy estable. Algunas de sus propiedades físicas, tales como insolubilidad en la mayor parte de disolventes y un punto de fusión muy alto (funde a 342ºC), parecen indicar la existencia de enlaces de hidrógeno intermoleculares. El FDCA posee dos grupos carboxilo, lo que le convierte en un monómero adecuado para reacciones de policondensación con dioles o diaminas. Es uno de los 12 principales compuestos químicos de alta valor añadido listados por el el DoE de los Estados Unidos en 2004. Esta lista se actualizó en 2010 y el FDCA fue incluido de nuevo, pero esta vez en un grupo junto con el furfural y el 5-hidroximetilfurfu
Read more

Etanol celulósico – Lo básico: Conceptos y materias primas

By -
Image
English version Sección: BIOCOMBUSTIBLES AVANZADOS Serie: Etanol celulósico - Lo básico: Concepto y materias primas - Lo básico: Ruta de conversión –Bioquímica - Lo básico: Ruta de conversión –Termoquímica - Cellulosic ethanol biorefineries at commercial scale Entradas: ETANOL CELULÓSICO 1. Conceptos generales El etanol (también conocido como alcohol etílico, alcohol para beber o simplemente alcohol) es un líquido volátil, inflamable e incoloro con la fórmula molecular C 2 H 6 O (también se puede escribir como CH 3 CH 2 OH y C 2 H 5 OH) y a menudo se abrevia como EtOH. La Asociación Europea de Etanol Renovable (ePURE) afirma que el mercado del etanol se puede dividir en tres segmentos: (1) Combustible : etanol utilizado como aditivo en la gasolina o como combustible alternativo. (2) Potable : etanol utilizado para producir bebidas espirituosas, como aditivo alimentario, para la extracción de aromas, para la conservación de alimentos y
Read more

Fast pyrolysis plants

By -
Image
Versión en Español Type of post: OVERVIEW. Posts: PYROLYSIS OIL PLATFORM . Fast pyrolysis Process Rapid thermal decomposition of organic compounds in the absence of oxygen to produce liquids, char and gas. Temperature Around 500ºC. Residence time 0.5 - 2 s Typical yields distribution - Oil: 60-70%. - Char: 12-15%. - Gas: 13-25%. Bio-oil characteristics - Low viscosity, dark-brown fluid. - Carboxylic acids: 4-6 w%. - Aldehydes, ketones, furans, pyrans, monomeric phenols: 15-20 w%. - Sugars: 25-35 w%. - Water: 20-30 w%. - Pyrolytic lignin, extractives, solids (including ash), polymerisation products: 20-25 w%. Bio-oil applications - Heating fuel. - Production of advanced biofuels. - Production of food ingredients. - Production of bitumen and coatings. Figure 1. Pyrolysis oil (taken
Read more