| Project Owner... |
G4 Insight
|
| Project name |
PCH Alberta
|
| Status |
operational
|
| Startup |
2018
|
| Type |
TRL 6-7 Demonstration
|
| Technology |
Fast Pyrolysis
|
| Raw Material |
biomass / biomass coal blends
|
| Input 1 |
biomass (33 t/y
)
|
| Output 1 |
SNG (0.1 t/y
)
|
| Technology Brief |
The Canadian company G4 Insight develops a process called PyroCatalytic Hydrogenation (PCH). Dried and comminuted biomass is vaporized in a pressurized (< 2MPa) hydrogen atmosphere by using a recirculating heating media to create a fast pyrolysis process. The generated vapours and aerosols are separated from the solid phase mixture of char and media. The char is further separated from the heating media for use in the reformer.
The pyrolysis vapours are catalytically converted into methane and steam in the presence of hydrogen gas. This is performed at catalyst temperatures below 650°C, which minimizes the formation of poly-aromatic hydrocarbons. The hot gases are cooled in a controlled process and the methane gas is separated and purified from the liquids and remaining hydrogen. Separation and purification of a high-grade methane mixture is performed by a proprietary PSA process and ant it is claimed that the energy conversion is above 70% on an HHV basis while the methane purity levels is over 98% and meet all other grid specifications.
A portion of the methane, water, and excess hydrogen is recirculated into a steam methane reformer to generate the hydrogen required for the hydropyrolyzer. The heat source for the endothermic reforming process is the combustion of the char generated in the pyrolysis process.
The PCH technology is in the process demonstration phase and the Process Demonstration Unit, Placer County, CA has achieved 88% to 100% of commercial target performance for core processes, and the product gas is also used in a CNG vehicle.
A “demonstration” unit of 100kg/day biomass started commissioning in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in 2018
Plants in two capacities, 4MW and 115MW output, are foreseen as commercial units.
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| Flowsheet |
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Last Update: 2024-08-12 12:06:52