This project demonstrates a novel conversion pathway for transforming forest biomass into mixed alcohol and renewable gas. The system integrates key process units, including a circulating fluidized bed gasifier, a mixed alcohol synthesis reactor, and a gas separation system to purify the produced renewable gas.
Data analysis showed an overall process efficiency of up to 36 percent, with 75 percent of the total energy input being retained in the renewable gas product, while the remaining energy was distributed into the mixed alcohol product. A methane recovery rate of about 70 percent was also achieved. Based on techno-economic modeling, the selling price of renewable gas of $12 per million British thermal units is feasible with sufficient revenue for the mixed alcohols to provide the balance needed to operate the plant. On a commercial scale, the production of biomass-derived renewable gas can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 percent, contributing significantly to California’s clean energy and decarbonization goals.
This project demonstrates a scalable and sustainable approach for producing low-carbon renewable gas from forest biomass providing a viable alternative to fossil-based natural gas that supports wildfire risk mitigation and greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Author(s)
Li Wang, Wesley Kraintz, Matthew D. Summers, Ph.D., Michael Long, Jonathan Wells, Ph.D.
