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Production of Renewable Energy and Fuels forThailand’s Rural and Agricultural Communities

Thailand/United StatesAnnual Conference on Biofuels

Columbus, OhioAugust 28-29, 2006

Dennis Schuetzle and David GanzRenewable Energy Institute (REI) International

Sacramento, CA

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Asian Biomass Center (ABC)National Science and Technology Development Agency &

Renewable Energy Institute International (REII)Cooperative Renewable Energy and Fuels Program*

REI International

*Agreement Signed on March 31, 2006 (Thailand Science Park, Bangkok, Thailand)

Asian Biomass Center

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Organized Workshop at which Sixty US and Thai ExpertsDrafted 62 Policy and Technical Recommendations for Thailand

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Planning Meeting for the Thailand BiomassFuels Project at the Royal Palace (June 1999)

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The Renewable Biomass Fuel Program is Initiated with Senior Thailand Government Officials including

The Prime Minister; Minister of Science, Technology and Environment; and the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand (August 1999)

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The Bangkok BOI Fair (Feb. 2000) Pavilion Three Million+ Visitors and Awarded “Best of Fair”

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Renewable Energy Institute (REI) International

Established as an international, non-profit, technology neutral organization with the mission to evaluate and further develop promising renewable energy conversion systems with a high degree of impartiality. Promising renewable energy/fuels technologies are evaluated with a philosophy that is similar to that of the Underwriters Laboratory (UL).

Supports research, development, demonstration and deployment (R3D) programs on renewable energy and alternative fuels in collaboration with government, industry, academia, institutes and non-government organizations.

REII’s World Headquarters is located in Sacramento. The Asian Biomass Center (ABC) in Bangkok is REII’s primary collaborative partnership for the Asia-Pacific region.

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REI InternationalResearch, Development and Testing Center for

Renewable Energy Technologies (Sacramento, CA)

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Left to Right: Tom Hibashi, Director, Roseville Electric; Frederick Tornatore, Vice President, REI International; Steven Johnson, U.S. EPA Administrator; Wayne Nastri, U.S. EPA Region 9 Administrator; Brian Jensen, CA Congressional District 4 Director;

Dennis Schuetzle, President, REI International

Future Renewable Energy Park Site – Visit and Ground-Breaking by EPA Administrator Steven Johnson (February 9, 2006)

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Current Cooperative Renewable Energy and Fuels ProgramsREII and the Asian Biomass Center

Program 1 - Evaluation of Jatropha Curcas as a Bio-fuel and Bio-energyResource

Program 2 - Economic, Energy and Environmental Life Cycle Study(LCA) for the Conversion of Renewable Biomass and Natural Gas toEnergy and Fuels

Program 3 - Evaluation of Thermochemical Technologies for theConversion of Agricultural Waste to Energy and Alcohol Fuels

Program 4 - The Conversion of Rice Straw and Rice Hull Ash toCommercial Products

Program 5 - Thailand/U.S. Rural Renewable Energy Demonstration Project

Asian Biomass Center

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Some Drivers for Developing Renewable Energy/Fuel Resources in Thailand

• The disposal of domestic, municipal and agricultural waste has become a major problem. These waste streams contain large quantities of biomass.

• This biomass can provide an excellent renewable resource for energy and fuels.

• The domestic production of renewable energy and renewable fuels from waste biomass will significantly reduce Thailand’s need to import expensive fossil energy resources.

• This renewable resource can provide new business opportunities and enhance economic development, especially for rural and agricultural communities

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Thailand’s Biomass Potential

Major agricultural residues in 2002/2003

Bagasse 20 M tons/yr Power potential 1400 MW

Rice husk 5.5 M tons/yrPower potential 560 MW

Rhizomes 1.6 M tons/yr Power potential 110 MW

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Country

Energy potential of plantation

biomass (PJ)

Projected energy

consumption in 2010 (PJ)

Percentage of projected energy

consumption in 2010

Cost of biomass

production (US $/ton)

China 3150 52,740 6 13

India 4650 19,200 24 8

Thailand 1600 5,132 31 13

Energy Potential of Plantation Biomass*

*S.C. Bhattacharya, R. M. Shrestha, H.L. Pham, Asian Regional Research Program in Energy, Environment and Climate (ARRPEEC)

Asian Biomass Center

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Program 1 - Evaluation of Jatropha Curcas as a Bio-fuel and Bio-energy Resource

Asian Biomass Center

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Program 1 - Evaluation of Jatropha Curcas

Asian Biomass Center

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Candidate conversion technologies are evaluated using “5E” assessment models. These models have been utilized during the past several years to help assess the commercial viability of renewable energy and renewable fuel technology options with respect to:

1. Technology Evaluations (E1)2. Energy Efficiency (E2)3. Environmental Impact (E3)4. Economic Viability (E4)5. Socio-Political Effectiveness (E5)

These candidate conversion technologies have been divided into twelve categories as follows:

Program 3 - Evaluation of Technologies for the Conversion of Agricultural Waste to Electricity and Alcohol Fuels

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Category Conversion Technologies DirectProducts

SecondaryProducts(Energy)

SecondaryProducts(Fuels)

I Thermochemical Pyrolysis/Steam Reforming(no Oxygen)

Syngas Electricity& Heat

Alcohols, Diesel,Gasoline

II Thermochemical Gasification (no Oxygen)

Syngas 

Electricity& Heat

Alcohols, Diesel,Gasoline

III Thermochemical Gasification(with Oxygen)

Syngas Electricity& Heat

Alcohols, Diesel,Gasoline

IV High Temperature (>3500oF)Thermochemical Gasification (with Oxygen)

Syngas Electricity& Heat

Alcohols, Diesel,Gasoline

V Integrated ThermochemicalGasification/Oxidation

Heat Electricity None

VI Thermal Pyrolysis (no Oxygen)

UnrefinedFuels

None RefinedDiesel

Categories of Biomass Conversion Technologies

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Category Conversion Technologies DirectProducts

SecondaryProducts(Energy)

SecondaryProducts(Fuels)

VII Thermochemical Oxidation (combustion at/or near Stochiometry (air/fuel = ~1.00)

Heat Electricity None

VIII Bio-Refinery (acid hydrolysis/fermentation)

ChemicalFeedstock’s

None Ethanol

IX Bio-Refinery (enzyme hydrolysis/fermentation)

ChemicalFeedstock’s

None Ethanol

X Integrated Bio-Refinery (VIII or IX) with generation of electricity/heat from waste

Methane,Hydrogen,Ethanol

None None 

Categories of Biomass Conversion Technologies

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Category Conversion Technologies DirectProducts

SecondaryProducts(Energy)

SecondaryProducts(Fuels)

XI Anaerobic Digestion Methane Electricity &Heat

Ethanol, Mixed Alcohols, Diesel

XII Other Biological Processes Methane, Hydrogen, Ethanol

None None

Categories of Biomass Conversion Technologies

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Pro

fit (

Loss

) in

$/G

reen

Ton

s

8. Bio-Refinery -Ethanol

Return on Investment (ROI)

-75% -50% -25% 0 +25% +50% +75% +100%

-75

-5

0

-25

0

+

25

+50

+

75

1. TC -Diesel

1. TC -Ethanol

*500 ton/day biomass conversion plant with feedstock @ $25.00/ton (as delivered with 40% water and 5,500 BTU/lb energy content). [Source: REI International & TSS Consultants 2006 unpublished data]

A Comparison of the Return on Investment (ROI) and Profit (Loss) for Different Conversion Processes and Products

Derived from Waste Biomass Feedstocks*

Combustion -Electricity

1. TC -Electricity

5. IGC -CHP

▲

▲▲

▲▲

▲

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Thermochemical Pyrolysis/Steam Reforming (Category I)Processes for the Production of Energy and Fuels

DomesticMunicipal

AgricultureIndustrial

TruckTrain

Pipeline

GrindingMixing

Screening

EthanolDiesel,

GasolineEthers

Hydrogen

FuelProduction

BiomassCollection

BiomassTransport

BiomassProcessing

ThermochemicalConversion

EnergyProduction Syngas

Heating,Process

Steam &Cooling

Syngas

HeatProduction

Heating,Process

Steam &Cooling

HeatProduction

SyngasClean-Up andConditioning

ElectricitySyngas

ConnectTo Grid

Syngas Heat

Pyrolysis,Gasification,

SteamReforming

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• The Integrated Gasification/Combustion (IGC) technology (Category V) has a high potential as an economically viable technology for small, community based biomass processing plants (40-200 tons/day feedstock)($4.5-$20.0M) that produce electricity, heat and cooling.

• The Pyrolysis/Steam Reforming Thermochemical technology (Category I) has a high potential as a future, economically viable technology for medium sized biomass processing plants (150-500 tons/day feedstock)($15.0-$50.0M) that produce electricity, heat, cooling and fuels.

•The Bio-Refinery (Acid Hydrolysis/Fermentation) technology (Category VIII) is only economically viable for large commercial scale plants (>1,000 tons/day) that require significant capital investment (>$150 M).

Program 3 - Evaluation of Technologies for the Conversion of Agricultural Waste to Energy and Fuels

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Program 5. Thailand/U.S. Rural Renewable Energy Demonstration Project - Production of Energy from Small Community-Based Systems

Recommended TechnologyIntegrated Gasification/Combustion (IGC)

Biomass Input (Agricultural Waste)40 tons/day (40% water)

Energy Output (Combined Heat/Power)Electricity: 1.0 Megawatt (7.90E+6 KWH)Cooling and Heat: 1.5 Megawatt

CostsCapital: $4.35 MOperation and Maintenance: $0.45 M/yrAmortized Costs ($0.67 M/yr)

BenefitsElectricity: 7.90E+6 KWH @ $0.085/KWHElectricity with Cooling/Heat: $0.064/KWH

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Approximately 650 patents have been issued internationally during the past 40 years that describe various catalyst formulations and substrates for the conversion of syngas to alcohols:

* Ethanol yield is dependent on the catalyst formulation,

temperature, pressure, H2/CO ratio and the presence

of other components * Many of the catalysts are very sensitive to contaminants

in the syngas (e.g. particulates, HCl, H2S, NH3, HCN, tars

with S and N hetero groups, BTX, etc.) * Methanol, Propanol, Butanol and higher MW alcohols are formed * Aliphatics, Aromatics and Oxygenated HC’s are formed

No organization has successfully developed and validated a catalyst for the efficient and economical conversion of syngas to alcohol fuels

What are the Major “Road-Blocks” to the Efficient and Economical Conversion of Syngas to Alcohol Fuels?

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Technical and Business Solution

Develop and deploy next generation catalyst technologies for the efficient and economical conversion of Syngas to alcohol fuels.

Utilize a technical and business approach similar to that used for the development of economical, rare-earth oxide (REO) automotive catalysts developed by Schuetzle, Hurley, Wu and Han at Ford from 1995-2002.

• REO catalysts were developed that reduced the need for the precious metals (Platinum and Palladium) in automotive catalysts by 90%. This development is saving Ford $100 million/year and the global automotive industry more than $1.0 billion/year. This new catalyst was recognized at an award ceremony in Japan by the Pacific Basin Economic Council as one of the two most important developments in the Pacific Basin during 2002.

We are using a similar approach to the development and deployment of next generation catalyst technologies for the efficient conversion of renewable biomass to alcohol fuels.

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Catalyst Development and Testing LaboratoryREI International and CSU-Sacramento

ReformerReformer

2-Stage Catalytic Reactor

2-Stage Catalytic Reactor

Primary ProductsMethanolEthanolPropanol

Secondary ProductsC4-C6 AlcoholsAliphatic HC’sAromatic HC’s

Oxygenated HC’s

Gasifier Gasifier

NaturalGas

NaturalGas

ReformerReformerOctaneOctane

BlendedGases

BlendedGases

OctaneOctane

Syngas Production & Conditioning

Syngas Production & Conditioning

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Catalyst Development and Testing LaboratoryREI International and CSU-Sacramento

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Conclusions

We envision that viable syngas to alcohol catalyst and process technologies will be successfully developed, validated and commercially deployed by early 2009.

The success of these efforts will be dependent upon collaboration between REII, ABC and other relevant organizations.

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Conclusions

The Integrated Gasification/Combustion (IGC) technology has the greatest potential as an economically viable process for small community-based biomass conversion plants (40-200 tons/day feedstock).

We envision the Pyrolysis/Steam Reforming Thermochemical conversion system serving cooperatives from several communities providing the required feedstock (150-500 tons/day) for medium-sized community-based biomass conversion plant.

Bio-Refinery (primarily based on the sugar platform) are too large to serve as community-based systems and thus need to be large-scale, industry-operated plants (>1,000 tons/day). There are significant economic and logistics issues with the collection and transportation of biomass to these large bio-refinery plants.