This paper presents the main experiences gained and conclusions drawn from the demonstration of a first-of-its-kind wood-based biomethane production plant (20-MW capacity, 150 dry tonnes of biomass/day) and 10 years of operation of the 2–4-MW (10–20 dry tonnes of biomass/day) research gasifier at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. Based on the experience gained, an elaborated outline for commercialization of the technology for a wide spectrum of applications and end products is defined. The main findings are related to the use of biomass ash constituents as a catalyst for the process and the application of coated heat exchangers, such that regular fluidized bed boilers can be retrofitted to become biomass gasifiers. Among the recirculation of the ash streams within the process, presence of the alkali salt in the system is identified as highly important for control of the tar species. Combined with new insights on fuel feeding and reactor design, these two major findings form the basis for a comprehensive process layout that can support a gradual transformation of existing boilers in district heating networks and in pulp, paper and saw mills, and it facilitates the exploitation of existing oil refineries and petrochemical plants for large-scale production of renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials from biomass and wastes. The potential for electrification of those process layouts are also discussed. The commercialization route represents an example of how biomass conversion develops and integrates with existing industrial and energy infrastructures to form highly effective systems that deliver a wide range of end products. Illustrating the potential, the existing fluidized bed boilers in Sweden alone represent a jet fuel production capacity that corresponds to 10% of current global consumption.

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Advanced biofuel production via gasification – lessons learned from 200 man-years of research activity with Chalmers’ research gasifier and the GoBiGas demonstration plant

The economics and the environmental benignity of different colors of hydrogen

Projecting cost development for future large-scale power-to-gas implementations by scaling effects

Biomass gasification using dual fluidized bed gasification systems: A review

Life cycle environmental assessment of electric and internal combustion engine vehicles in China

Scenario analysis of implementing a power-to-gas and biomass gasification system in an integrated steel plant: A techno-economic and environmental study

https://research.chalmers.se/publication/501524/file/501524_Fulltext.pdf

Bed material as a catalyst for char gasification: The case of ash-coated olivine activated by K and S addition

Comparison of advanced fuels—Which technology can win from the life cycle perspective?

A fuel cell is a galvanic cell that converts the chemical reaction energy of a continuously supplied fuel (usually hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (usually oxygen, air) into electrical energy. Compared to more widespread thermal engines, fuel cells have the advantage of a direct conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy with higher efficiency (approx. 40%–60%). In this chapter, the main innovative fuel cell technologies (e.g., proton exchange membrane fuel cell, phosphoric acid, and solid oxide fuel cell) are explained based on their characteristics with respect to potential advantages and disadvantages for specific applications. The current major challenges due to the partly low technological readiness level of some fuel cell types are the relatively high costs, as well as durability and reliability. These three factors must be overcome in order to realize a high market penetration in the power and mobility sector. However, fuel cells are getting closer to cost-competitiveness in a growing variety of applications, ranging from vehicles to stationary and portable applications. Today's most important applications for fuel cells, measured in terms of the number of devices installed, are building and off-grid power supply but also power generation and storage applications. Another growing market is the field of vehicle powertrains in versatile applications especially where required ranges and operating times are high and hardly satisfiable by renewable alternatives like, e.g., battery powered systems. Today most of the hydrogen is derived from fossil natural gas. Hydrogen produced via renewable powered water electrolysis can provide significant environmental benefits for the fuel production. However, the environmental impact associated with the manufacture of fuel cells still represent challenges to be addressed in future years. Given a sustained policy support, together with the intense research and resulting technological progress in hydrogen and fuel cell development in the recent years, fuel cells are potentially supposed to experience a cost and performance trajectory similar to those of photovoltaics and batteries.

Daniel C. Rosenfeld

Papers

Projecting cost development for future large-scale power-to-gas implementations by scaling effects

Scenario analysis of implementing a power-to-gas and biomass gasification system in an integrated steel plant: A techno-economic and environmental study

Bed material as a catalyst for char gasification: The case of ash-coated olivine activated by K and S addition

Comparison of advanced fuels—Which technology can win from the life cycle perspective?

Fuel Cells: Energy Conversion Technology