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Biofuels and biochemicals production from forest biomass in Western Canada

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  • Sarkar, Susanjib
  • Kumar, Amit
  • Sultana, Arifa

Abstract

Biomass can be used for the production of fuels, and chemicals with reduced life cycle (greenhouse gas) emissions. Currently, these fuels and chemicals are produced mainly from natural gas and other fossil fuels. In Western Canada, forest residue biomass is gasified for the production of syngas which is further synthesized to produce different fuels and chemicals. Two types of gasifiers: the atmospheric pressure gasifier (commercially known as SilvaGas) and the pressurized gasifier (commercially known as RENUGAS) are considered for syngas production. The production costs of methanol, (dimethyl ether), (Fischer-Tropsch) fuels, and ammonia are $0.29/kg, $0.47/kg, $0.97/kg, and $2.09/kg, respectively, for a SilvaGas-based gasification plant with a capacity of 2000 dry tonnes/day. The cost of producing methanol, DME, F-T fuels, and ammonia in a RENUGAS-based plant are $0.45/kg, $0.69/kg, $1.53/kg, and $2.72/kg, respectively, for a plant capacity of 2000 dry tonnes/day. The minimum cost of producing methanol, DME, F-T fuels, and ammonia are $0.28/kg, $0.44/kg, $0.94/kg, and $2.06/kg at plant capacities of 3000, 3500, 4000, and 3000 dry tonnes/day, respectively, using the SilvaGas-based gasification process. Biomass-based fuels and chemicals are expensive compared to fuels and chemicals derived from fossil fuels, and carbon credits can help them become competitive.

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  • Sarkar, Susanjib & Kumar, Amit & Sultana, Arifa, 2011. "Biofuels and biochemicals production from forest biomass in Western Canada," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 6251-6262.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:36:y:2011:i:10:p:6251-6262
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2011.07.024
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    18. Budzianowski, Wojciech M., 2012. "Value-added carbon management technologies for low CO2 intensive carbon-based energy vectors," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 280-297.
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    21. Douwe F. A. van der Kroft & Jeroen F. J. Pruyn, 2021. "A Study into the Availability, Costs and GHG Reduction in Drop-In Biofuels for Shipping under Different Regimes between 2020 and 2050," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-20, September.
    22. Holmgren, Kristina M. & Berntsson, Thore S. & Andersson, Eva & Rydberg, Tomas, 2016. "Comparison of integration options for gasification-based biofuel production systems – Economic and greenhouse gas emission implications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 272-294.
    23. Campbell, Robert M. & Anderson, Nathaniel M. & Daugaard, Daren E. & Naughton, Helen T., 2018. "Financial viability of biofuel and biochar production from forest biomass in the face of market price volatility and uncertainty," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C), pages 330-343.
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