IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v9y2016i5p333-d69263.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Integrated SNG Production in a Typical Nordic Sawmill

Author

Listed:
  • Sennai Mesfun

    (Energy Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden)

  • Jan-Olof Anderson

    (Process Energy Engineering, Solvina, SE-42130 Västra Frölunda, Sweden)

  • Kentaro Umeki

    (Energy Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden)

  • Andrea Toffolo

    (Energy Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden)

Abstract

Advanced biomass-based motor fuels and chemicals are becoming increasingly important to replace fossil energy sources within the coming decades. It is likely that the new biorefineries will evolve mainly from existing forest industry sites, as they already have the required biomass handling infrastructure in place. The main objective of this work is to assess the potential for increasing the profit margin from sawmill byproducts by integrating innovative downstream processes. The focus is on the techno-economic evaluation of an integrated site for biomass-based synthetic natural gas (bio-SNG) production. The option of using the syngas in a biomass-integrated gasification combined cycle (b-IGCC) for the production of electricity (instead of SNG) is also considered for comparison. The process flowsheets that are used to analyze the energy and material balances are modelled in MATLAB and Simulink. A mathematical process integration model of a typical Nordic sawmill is used to analyze the effects on the energy flows in the overall site, as well as to evaluate the site economics. Different plant sizes have been considered in order to assess the economy-of-scale effect. The technical data required as input are collected from the literature and, in some cases, from experiments. The investment cost is evaluated on the basis of conducted studies, third party supplier budget quotations and in-house database information. This paper presents complete material and energy balances of the considered processes and the resulting process economics. Results show that in order for the integrated SNG production to be favored, depending on the sawmill size, a biofuel subsidy in the order of 28–52 €/MWh SNG is required.

Suggested Citation

  • Sennai Mesfun & Jan-Olof Anderson & Kentaro Umeki & Andrea Toffolo, 2016. "Integrated SNG Production in a Typical Nordic Sawmill," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-19, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:9:y:2016:i:5:p:333-:d:69263
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/5/333/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/5/333/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Heyne, Stefan & Harvey, Simon, 2013. "Assessment of the energy and economic performance of second generation biofuel production processes using energy market scenarios," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 203-212.
    2. 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.
    3. Anderson, Jan-Olof & Toffolo, Andrea, 2013. "Improving energy efficiency of sawmill industrial sites by integration with pellet and CHP plants," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 791-800.
    4. Davis, William & Martín, Mariano, 2014. "Optimal year-round operation for methane production from CO2 and water using wind energy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 497-505.
    5. Mesfun, Sennai & Toffolo, Andrea, 2013. "Optimization of process integration in a Kraft pulp and paper mill – Evaporation train and CHP system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 98-110.
    6. Lazzaretto, Andrea & Toffolo, Andrea, 2008. "A method to separate the problem of heat transfer interactions in the synthesis of thermal systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 163-170.
    7. Juraščík, Martin & Sues, Anna & Ptasinski, Krzysztof J., 2010. "Exergy analysis of synthetic natural gas production method from biomass," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 880-888.
    8. Börjesson, Martin & Ahlgren, Erik O., 2010. "Biomass gasification in cost-optimized district heating systems--A regional modelling analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 168-180, January.
    9. Wetterlund, Elisabeth & Söderström, Mats, 2010. "Biomass gasification in district heating systems - The effect of economic energy policies," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(9), pages 2914-2922, September.
    10. Wennan Zhang & Jie He & Per Engstrand & Olof Björkqvist, 2015. "Economic Evaluation on Bio-Synthetic Natural Gas Production Integrated in a Thermomechanical Pulp Mill," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-15, November.
    11. Pihl, Erik & Heyne, Stefan & Thunman, Henrik & Johnsson, Filip, 2010. "Highly efficient electricity generation from biomass by integration and hybridization with combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants for natural gas," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 4042-4052.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Nwachukwu, Chinedu M. & Toffolo, Andrea & Wetterlund, Elisabeth, 2020. "Biomass-based gas use in Swedish iron and steel industry – Supply chain and process integration considerations," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 2797-2811.
    3. Sandberg, Erik & Toffolo, Andrea & Krook-Riekkola, Anna, 2019. "A bottom-up study of biomass and electricity use in a fossil free Swedish industry," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 1019-1030.
    4. Magdalena Fallde & Johan Torén & Elisabeth Wetterlund, 2017. "Energy System Models as a Means of Visualising Barriers and Drivers of Forest-Based Biofuels: An Interview Study of Developers and Potential Users," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-19, October.
    5. Ahlström, Johan M. & Pettersson, Karin & Wetterlund, Elisabeth & Harvey, Simon, 2017. "Value chains for integrated production of liquefied bio-SNG at sawmill sites – Techno-economic and carbon footprint evaluation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 1590-1608.
    6. Sennai Mesfun & Leonidas Matsakas & Ulrika Rova & Paul Christakopoulos, 2019. "Technoeconomic Assessment of Hybrid Organosolv–Steam Explosion Pretreatment of Woody Biomass," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-18, November.

    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. 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.
    2. Wetterlund, Elisabeth & Pettersson, Karin & Harvey, Simon, 2011. "Systems analysis of integrating biomass gasification with pulp and paper production – Effects on economic performance, CO2 emissions and energy use," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 932-941.
    3. Vitasari, Caecilia R. & Jurascik, Martin & Ptasinski, Krzysztof J., 2011. "Exergy analysis of biomass-to-synthetic natural gas (SNG) process via indirect gasification of various biomass feedstock," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 3825-3837.
    4. Cambero, Claudia & Sowlati, Taraneh, 2014. "Assessment and optimization of forest biomass supply chains from economic, social and environmental perspectives – A review of literature," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 62-73.
    5. Heyne, Stefan & Harvey, Simon, 2013. "Assessment of the energy and economic performance of second generation biofuel production processes using energy market scenarios," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 203-212.
    6. Holmgren, Kristina M. & Berntsson, Thore & Andersson, Eva & Rydberg, Tomas, 2012. "System aspects of biomass gasification with methanol synthesis – Process concepts and energy analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 817-828.
    7. Gustavsson, Leif & Truong, Nguyen Le, 2011. "Coproduction of district heat and electricity or biomotor fuels," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 6263-6277.
    8. Wang, H. & Bi, X. & Clift, R., 2021. "Utilization of forestry waste materials in British Columbia: Options and strategies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    9. Nwachukwu, Chinedu M. & Toffolo, Andrea & Wetterlund, Elisabeth, 2020. "Biomass-based gas use in Swedish iron and steel industry – Supply chain and process integration considerations," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 2797-2811.
    10. Kikuchi, Yasunori & Kimura, Seiichiro & Okamoto, Yoshitaka & Koyama, Michihisa, 2014. "A scenario analysis of future energy systems based on an energy flow model represented as functionals of technology options," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 586-601.
    11. Shabani, Nazanin & Akhtari, Shaghaygh & Sowlati, Taraneh, 2013. "Value chain optimization of forest biomass for bioenergy production: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 299-311.
    12. Hagos, Dejene Assefa & Gebremedhin, Alemayehu & Bolkesjø, Torjus Folsland, 2017. "The prospects of bioenergy in the future energy system of Inland Norway," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 78-91.
    13. Johansson, Maria T., 2013. "Bio-synthetic natural gas as fuel in steel industry reheating furnaces – A case study of economic performance and effects on global CO2 emissions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 699-708.
    14. Shabani, Nazanin & Sowlati, Taraneh, 2013. "A mixed integer non-linear programming model for tactical value chain optimization of a wood biomass power plant," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 353-361.
    15. Zhang, B.J. & Liu, K. & Luo, X.L. & Chen, Q.L. & Li, W.K., 2015. "A multi-period mathematical model for simultaneous optimization of materials and energy on the refining site scale," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 238-250.
    16. Wetterlund, Elisabeth & Leduc, Sylvain & Dotzauer, Erik & Kindermann, Georg, 2012. "Optimal localisation of biofuel production on a European scale," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 462-472.
    17. Tanaka, Yasuto & Mesfun, Sennai & Umeki, Kentaro & Toffolo, Andrea & Tamaura, Yutaka & Yoshikawa, Kunio, 2015. "Thermodynamic performance of a hybrid power generation system using biomass gasification and concentrated solar thermal processes," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 664-672.
    18. Puig-Arnavat, Maria & Bruno, Joan Carles & Coronas, Alberto, 2014. "Modeling of trigeneration configurations based on biomass gasification and comparison of performance," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 845-856.
    19. Anderson, Jan-Olof & Toffolo, Andrea, 2013. "Improving energy efficiency of sawmill industrial sites by integration with pellet and CHP plants," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 791-800.
    20. 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.

    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:gam:jeners:v:9:y:2016:i:5:p:333-:d:69263. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.