IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v36y2011i10p6251-6262.html

Biofuels and biochemicals production from forest biomass in Western Canada

Author

Listed:
  • 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.

Suggested Citation

  • 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
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544211004725
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2011.07.024?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Penner, S.S., 2006. "Steps toward the hydrogen economy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 33-43.
    2. Prins, Mark J. & Ptasinski, Krzysztof J. & Janssen, Frans J.J.G., 2006. "More efficient biomass gasification via torrefaction," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(15), pages 3458-3470.
    3. Sarkar, Susanjib & Kumar, Amit, 2010. "Biohydrogen production from forest and agricultural residues for upgrading of bitumen from oil sands," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 582-591.
    4. Hamelinck, Carlo N. & Faaij, André P.C. & den Uil, Herman & Boerrigter, Harold, 2004. "Production of FT transportation fuels from biomass; technical options, process analysis and optimisation, and development potential," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 29(11), pages 1743-1771.
    5. Rafiqul, Islam & Weber, Christoph & Lehmann, Bianca & Voss, Alfred, 2005. "Energy efficiency improvements in ammonia production—perspectives and uncertainties," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 30(13), pages 2487-2504.
    6. Clausen, Lasse R. & Elmegaard, Brian & Houbak, Niels, 2010. "Technoeconomic analysis of a low CO2 emission dimethyl ether (DME) plant based on gasification of torrefied biomass," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 4831-4842.
    7. Renó, Maria Luiza Grillo & Lora, Electo Eduardo Silva & Palacio, José Carlos Escobar & Venturini, Osvaldo José & Buchgeister, Jens & Almazan, Oscar, 2011. "A LCA (life cycle assessment) of the methanol production from sugarcane bagasse," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 3716-3726.
    8. Zhang, Liang & Huang, Zhen, 2007. "Life cycle study of coal-based dimethyl ether as vehicle fuel for urban bus in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(10), pages 1896-1904.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Clausen, Lasse R., 2014. "Integrated torrefaction vs. external torrefaction – A thermodynamic analysis for the case of a thermochemical biorefinery," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 597-607.
    2. Batidzirai, B. & Mignot, A.P.R. & Schakel, W.B. & Junginger, H.M. & Faaij, A.P.C., 2013. "Biomass torrefaction technology: Techno-economic status and future prospects," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 196-214.
    3. Michalsky, Ronald & Parman, Bryon J. & Amanor-Boadu, Vincent & Pfromm, Peter H., 2012. "Solar thermochemical production of ammonia from water, air and sunlight: Thermodynamic and economic analyses," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 251-260.
    4. Liu, Yigang & Li, Guoxuan & Chen, Zhengrun & Shen, Yuanyuan & Zhang, Hongru & Wang, Shuai & Qi, Jianguang & Zhu, Zhaoyou & Wang, Yinglong & Gao, Jun, 2020. "Comprehensive analysis of environmental impacts and energy consumption of biomass-to-methanol and coal-to-methanol via life cycle assessment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    5. Brojolall, Neeha & Surroop, Dinesh, 2022. "Improving fuel characteristics through torrefaction," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    6. Dossow, Marcel & Dieterich, Vincent & Hanel, Andreas & Spliethoff, Hartmut & Fendt, Sebastian, 2021. "Improving carbon efficiency for an advanced Biomass-to-Liquid process using hydrogen and oxygen from electrolysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    7. Andersson, Jim & Lundgren, Joakim, 2014. "Techno-economic analysis of ammonia production via integrated biomass gasification," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 484-490.
    8. Sarkar, Susanjib & Kumar, Amit, 2010. "Biohydrogen production from forest and agricultural residues for upgrading of bitumen from oil sands," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 582-591.
    9. Clausen, Lasse R. & Elmegaard, Brian & Ahrenfeldt, Jesper & Henriksen, Ulrik, 2011. "Thermodynamic analysis of small-scale dimethyl ether (DME) and methanol plants based on the efficient two-stage gasifier," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 5805-5814.
    10. Dimitrios K. Sidiras & Antonios G. Nazos & Georgios E. Giakoumakis & Dorothea V. Politi, 2020. "Simulating the Effect of Torrefaction on the Heating Value of Barley Straw," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-15, February.
    11. Wafiq, A. & Hanafy, M., 2015. "Feasibility assessment of diesel fuel production in Egypt using coal and biomass: Integrated novel methodology," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 522-533.
    12. Clausen, Lasse R., 2015. "Maximizing biofuel production in a thermochemical biorefinery by adding electrolytic hydrogen and by integrating torrefaction with entrained flow gasification," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 94-104.
    13. Johansson, Daniella & Franck, Per-Åke & Berntsson, Thore, 2012. "Hydrogen production from biomass gasification in the oil refining industry – A system analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 212-227.
    14. Gutiérrez, R.E. & Guerra, K. & Haro, P., 2022. "Exploring the techno-economic feasibility of new bioeconomy concepts: Solar-assisted thermochemical biorefineries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 322(C).
    15. Suopajärvi, Hannu & Umeki, Kentaro & Mousa, Elsayed & Hedayati, Ali & Romar, Henrik & Kemppainen, Antti & Wang, Chuan & Phounglamcheik, Aekjuthon & Tuomikoski, Sari & Norberg, Nicklas & Andefors, Alf , 2018. "Use of biomass in integrated steelmaking – Status quo, future needs and comparison to other low-CO2 steel production technologies," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 384-407.
    16. Amigun, Bamikole & Gorgens, Johann & Knoetze, Hansie, 2010. "Biomethanol production from gasification of non-woody plant in South Africa: Optimum scale and economic performance," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 312-322, January.
    17. Octávio Alves & Luís Calado & Roberta M. Panizio & Catarina Nobre & Eliseu Monteiro & Paulo Brito & Margarida Gonçalves, 2022. "Gasification of Solid Recovered Fuels with Variable Fractions of Polymeric Materials," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-19, November.
    18. Shafie, S.M. & Mahlia, T.M.I. & Masjuki, H.H., 2013. "Life cycle assessment of rice straw co-firing with coal power generation in Malaysia," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 284-294.
    19. Kotowicz, Janusz & Sobolewski, Aleksander & Iluk, Tomasz, 2013. "Energetic analysis of a system integrated with biomass gasification," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 265-278.
    20. Hunt, Julian David & Nascimento, Andreas & Zakeri, Behnam & Barbosa, Paulo Sérgio Franco, 2022. "Hydrogen Deep Ocean Link: a global sustainable interconnected energy grid," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:36:y:2011:i:10:p:6251-6262. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.