ClearFuels-Rentech Integrated Biorefinery Pilot Project for Diesel and Jet Fuel Production by Thermochemical Conversion of Woodwaste

(CF-RTK IBR) DOE Workshop on Biomass Indirect

Liquefaction

March 20, 2014

Principal Investigator: Joshua Pearson

Project Description Project Location: 4150 E. 60th Ave. Commerce City, CO

Rentech Corporate HQ: Los Angeles, CA

Thermochemical Conversion of Wood and Bagasse:

DOE Project Added Biomass Handling and Gasification to Rentech’s Gas-to-Liquids Demonstration Facility

5- 16 DTPD of Wood Chips or Pellets or Bagasse − <2 inch feedstock with up to 50% moisture

Biomass Steam Reforming to syngas

Syngas Conversion to Hydrocarbons via Rentech Fischer-Tropsch

Hydrocarbons hydroprocessed to diesel fuel in Product Upgrader (Hydrocracking and Hydrotreating Units)

Up to 420 gallons per day of liquid fuel can be produced at facility

Either Naphtha/Jet Fuel or Naphtha/Diesel produced

75-80% of liquid fuel is Diesel for example

•2

Rentech Site in Colorado

Right 1/3 of Photo Added as Result of DOE Grant

General Overview – Block Flow Diagram

1st Stage SYNGAS

COMP

DGA AMINEZ-3100

HORIZONTAL MEMBRANE

V-3503

PSAZ-3302

SYNGAS POLISHINGV-3404A/B

SULFUR GUARD BED

V-3402

FT UNITR-4201

H2 COMPRESSOR

C-3301

CRUDE FT LIQUID STORAGE

FINAL PRODUCT STORAGE

UOP PROD. UPGRADERZ-5000

FLAREX-9102NG

BFW

STEAM

SYNGAS From SMR

PSA TAILGAS

FT TAILGAS

WAXT-6104

MID DISTILLATE

T-6102

CRUDE NAPHTHA

T-6100NAPHTHA

RENDIESEL

RENJET

SYNGAS

NAPHTHA

RENDIESEL

RENJET

SYNGAS HEATERE-34012nd Stage

SYNGAS COMP

TEGZ-3026

SYNGAS SATURATOR

V-3101

TOUX-9101

BIOMASS

SYNGAS BOOSTER

COMPC-3073

VENTURI SCRUBBERV-2066/68

COS HYDROLYSIS

V-3102A/B

Carbon Bed V-3401

M1/M2 VERTICAL MEMBRANE

Z-3301

STEAM

RO Water

SYNGAS

SYNGAS

CLEARFUEL GASIFIER

H-2062

SMRR-101

ASH CYCLONESV-2063/65

ASH

WASTE HEAT

BOILERE-2164

STEAM

FLUEGASMIXING VESSELV-2060

BFW

NG

FEED HOOPER

T-1405

DRYERK-1202

GRINDERGR-1100

TRUCK UNLOADING

AND CONVEYING

Z-1011, Z1012

WOOD CHIP

WWater

City Water

WWater

WWaterSTACK

EJECTORV-2071

WWater

Process Drain

Process Drain

C-3001

PROCESS WATERT-6103Process

Water to WWTP

STACK

STACK

Engineering Procurement & Construction

Dedication to Project Controls and Project Management

EP&C on time and on budget

Cost Reimbursable Fixed Fee Contracting Strategy

May 5 2011

September 12, 2011

Commissioning Progress

Challenges Biomass Feed Conveyer Grinder Material Compatibility Feed Hopper flow Rotary Valve Seal Syngas line support/insulation Fuel Gas, using FT Tailgas for BMS DCS related Issues Burner Design Cyclone related issues Venturi Scrubber

Resolution

Adequate Time and Budget for Commissioning

•Air Pulsation Device

Feed System

Grinding

Feedstock Format − Hog Fuel

− Pellets

− Chips

− Bagasse

Ground Feedstock Characteristics

Resolution − Start with simple feedstock specifications

− Multi Step Grinding – tighter particle distribution

Feed System

Drying

Particle Size Distribution Variation − % Fines Varies - Bagasse

Integrated Heat Recovery − Startup heat not available

− Reformer Operation (Reduced Rates)

Resolution − Supplemental Heat added (seasonal issues)

− Reduced Rates

− Pre Dried Feedstock

Feed System

Mass Balance & Pressure Boundary − Feed Hopper

− Metering Screw

− Rotary Valve

− Steam Mixing Vessel

Resolution − Air Pulsation Devices

− Used Upstream Weigh Belt

− Steam Eductor

− Redesign

Reformer Scale Up

Incorrect Scale up Parameter Selected – Scale up based on Resonance Time, Critical parameter was heat transfer.

Resolution − Revisited Pilot Unit, Repeated pilot parametric testing

− Enhanced Analytical data collection

− Modification of demonstration Unit

Validate Pilot Plant Data − Financing – Freeze Design Basis – Re-FEED

Gas Cleanup

Analytical Capabilities

NREL

RTK

DCS & PI Historian

Tars

Exchanger Fouling

Cyclones / Scrubber Fouling

Compressor Precipitation

On Spec Gas to Fischer Tropsch

Spec Bio Derived Diesel

Current Technology Status

This gasification technology is unique, due to the beneficial effects of fast or flash pyrolysis of the biomass, produced as a result of fast particle heating rates due to particle/wall contact, which provides for high carbon conversions. In addition, the unique helical coil geometry results in volatiles released from the biomass and char having to pass through a layer of very hot char, which catalyzes volatile decomposition reactions, and results in a low tar content syngas and in particular very low heavy tar contents. Char catalyzed reactions also allow a high H2:CO syngas to be produced in the HEHTR, which is a unique feature of this technology.

The technology does suffer from limitations in scale-up potential due to limited surface area being available for fast particle heating, in the early part of the helical coil(s), and ultimately due to potential for coil deposits building up at high biomass feedrates.

R&D Needs Outstanding

Tar Management

Tar Cracking Technologies − RTK – NIDFB

− Catalytic Filtration (reformation)

Mechanical Challenges of Reactor Design − Rapid Heating / Wall contact

− Metallurgy

Biomass Pressure Boundary − Rotary Valve

− Lock Hopper

− Plug Screw

Intellectual Property - Perception

Lessons re-learned over and over and over again

Department of Energy

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for Tar Measurement (TMBMS)

URS for Engineering and Construction Management

Linde HydroChem for design and fabrication of ClearFuels High Efficiency Hydro-Thermal Reformer (HEHTR)

Joshua Pearson – Principal Investigator, Manager of Biorefinery Integration, Rentech

Harold Wright – Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Rentech

Eric Darmstaedter – President, ClearFuels Technology

Randy Blevins – Director of Engineering, ClearFuels Technology

Mark Robertson – Senior Lead Process Engineer, Rentech

Weibin Jiang – Senior Principal Engineer, Rentech

Mark Still – Process Development Engineer, Rentech

Randy Shearer – Manager Lab Services, Rentech

Josefa Griffith – Senior Analytical Chemist, Rentech

Ernesto Bustamante – Process Development Engineer, Rentech

Matt Greer – Principal Operation Engineer, Rentech

Ray Huang – Manager, Iron Fischer-Tropsch Technology, Rentech

Ute Duvenhage – Data Statistician, Rentech

Eric Elrod – Lead Process Engineer, Rentech

Eric Bemiss – Project Controls Engineer, Rentech

Mark Anselmo – Construction Manager, Rentech

Nick Cozzi – Senior Mechanical Engineer, Rentech

Phil Weathers – Director of Operations, Rentech

Perry Herrick – Operations Manager, Rentech

Rentech Energy Technology Center (RETC) – Analytical and Lab Services

RETC – Operations & Maintenance

ClearFuels-Rentech Integrated Biorefinery Pilot Project for Diesel and Jet Fuel Production by Thermochemical Conversion of Woodwaste

(CF-RTK IBR) DOE Workshop on Biomass Indirect

Liquefaction

Questions

Principal Investigator: Joshua Pearson