pacpyro slow-pyrolysis technology: waste to energy and biochar
TRANSCRIPT
PacPyro Slow-Pyrolysis Technology:
Waste to Energy and Biochar
Adriana Downie
WasteMINZ – Rotorua 2011
Technology Design Objectives • Quality controlled product – biochar (energy)
• Energy Efficiency
• Emissions control (air
quality, greenhouse gases)
• Workplace Health and Safety
• Economic viability Traditional utilisation of residual rice
hulls as charred soil amendment.
Product Optimisation
Technology Overview
• Creates clean electrical and thermal energy
• Solves organic waste problems
• Reduces landfill & waste hauling
• Increases sustainability and productivity of
agriculture
• Mitigates greenhouse gases
• Sequesters atmospheric carbon long-term
PacPyro Project Value Areas
Waste $
Disposal or tipping fee
Biochar
Soil Amendment $
Carbon Storage $
Energy $
Excess energy
integrated into
waste facility,
embedded
customer and/or
grid
• Multiple Revenue Streams
• Volume reduction –
concentration of carbon and
nutrients. Dry product. Access
to broader markets.
• Improved Greenhouse Gas
outcomes
• Feedstock Blends (plastics
contamination, oversize)
Advantages for Organics Management
The ‘Waste’ Challenge
• Contamination • Consistency
Target ‘waste’ that is of a quality that will make a
quality biochar product of environmental benefit
OR
Reduce the volume of waste, achieve energy
recovery, stabilise carbon and send char residue to
landfill
Quality ‘Waste’ Organics for
Biochar Production
PacPyro Commercialisation
Approach
• Technology Development and Demonstration
• Product Marketability – Biochar and Bioenergy
• Lifecycle Sustainability and Risk Management
• Strategically Supported Commercial Readiness
Project Delivery
Technology Development
El Torro ~ 40kg/hr dry biomass Daisy ~ 10kg batch dry biomass
Pilot Scale Production
Commercial Greenwaste Project
PacPyro has been offered $4.5 million dollars by the Victorian
State Government to assist in building a project for the
conversion of waste organics to renewable energy and biochar.
Viable Project Requirements
• Site
• Sustainable Feedstock
• Energy off-take
• Biochar off-take
• Stakeholders
– project structure
Return hurdles that reflect first-of-kind project risk
PacPyro Commercialisation
Approach
• Technology Development and Demonstration
• Product Marketability – Biochar and Bioenergy
• Lifecycle Sustainability and Risk Management
• Strategically Supported Commercial Readiness
Project Delivery
• Carbon Offsets – Biochar
production can result in a
net sequestration of
carbon.
• Soil Health – some
biochars have been
scientifically demonstrated
to improve soil health and
improve crop yields.
Key Attributes of Biochar
Greenhouse Assessment
• Carbon Offsets – Biochar
production can result in a
net sequestration of
carbon.
• Soil Health – some
biochars have been
scientifically demonstrated
to improve soil health and
improve crop yields.
Key Attributes of Biochar
Independent Third Party Trials PacPyro has worked closely with research institution of
high reputation since 2006 on AgricharTM biochar
research.
- MOU with Industry and Investment NSW
- ARC industry linkage program with UNSW
- Collaborative research partners on the DAFF National
Biochar Research program headed by CSIRO
- Member of the committee of the Australian and NZ
Biochar Researchers Network
- Founding members of the International Biochar
Initiative
- Key supplier of research grade biochar internationally
Peer-Reviewed Scientific Literature
Meta-Analysis of Biochar and
Crop Productivity
Statistically significant, benefit of biochar application to soils
on crop productivity, with a grand mean increase of 10%.
PacPyro acquisition - ASX
• PacPyro acquired the global rights to the
technology from Best Energies Inc.
• ASX listed company WAG has exercised their
option to acquire Pacific Pyrolysis Pty Ltd.
• WAG is currently undergoing a capital raising
for working capital, finalisation of technology
licensing package and project delivery. Adriana Downie – Kyoto, 2011
www.pacificpyrolysis.com
www.anzbiochar.org
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BIOCHAR AND BIOENERGY FROM WASTE ORGANICS – A NEW Z EALAND PERSPECTIVE
Author: Adriana Downie, Chief Technology Officer, Pacific Pyrolysis Pty Ltd
Introduction
Several local governments groups and corporations in New Zealand are considering
the adoption of slow-pyrolysis technology for the management of waste organics
under their management. Pacific Pyrolysis (PacPyro) have a proprietary technology
solution that has been demonstrated on a pilot scale to convert a large range of
waste organic feedstocks into bioenergy (electricity and thermal) and biochar. The
identified potential for the technology in the New Zealand market is large. The
abundance of low-grade organic residues, and requirements for; increased
renewable energy at a distributed level, greenhouse gas emissions offsets, and
locally produced agricultural soil amendments, provide a framework for the business
case of slow-pyrolysis projects.
PacPyro have been undertaking feasibility studies in New Zealand for clients that
investigate the technical and economic viability of producing bioenergy and biochar
from waste organic resources. The key drivers to such projects, the barriers to
commercialisation, and the progress made to date will be discussed. Project
feasibility parameters will be evaluated to assist waste managers to understand and
assess the opportunity that utilising the technology may bring to their businesses.
Progress has been made on understanding possible outlets for biochar products in
the New Zealand market.
The PacPyro Slow-Pyrolysis Technology
PacPyro is a world leader in the development of waste to energy and biochar
technology. Their award winning slow pyrolysis technology delivers an innovative
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solution that redefines best practice for waste and low grade feedstock management
by achieving the co-production of bioenergy and carbon products.
The PacPyro technology converts biomass residues, such as kerb-side collected
organics, into renewable energy and a proprietary biochar called Agrichar™, which
has been proven by independent trials to increase food production and sequester
carbon over long periods of time. PacPyro’s slow pyrolysis technology provides
carbon negative (removes CO2 from the atmosphere) renewable energy through
sequestration of carbon, long-term, via stabilisation into biochar.
The PacPyro technology platform is based on slow-pyrolysis, which is the thermo-
chemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures in the absence
of oxygen. The feed material is dried and fed into an externally heated kiln. As the
material passes through the kiln, it reacts to produce an off-gas (syngas), which is
continuously removed from the kiln and utilised for its energy value in much the
same way as natural gas or liquid petroleum gas (LPG). The pyrolysis syngas can
be piped to a local consumer of thermal energy such as steam boilers, dryers and
absorption chillers, or can be converted to electricity using a reciprocating engine
generator. The electricity is then available for local consumption, embedded into
existing operations, or can be distributed to a much broader market through the
power supply network. A portion of the syngas produced is used to sustain the
process. This makes the pyrolysis plant highly efficient. Minimal external utility
inputs are required, even for wet, low energy feed materials.
PacPyro has an operational continuous flow slow pyrolysis pilot demonstration
facility (see Figure 1 below), at the Somersby Advanced Engineering Facility north of
Sydney.
Figure 1: PacPyro Demonstration Facility
PacPyro has process and mechanical designs for 48 (2 tph) and 96 (4 tph) dry tonne
per day commercial units (PyroChar 2000 and PyroChar 4000 respectively). Three
dimensional modelling of the 48 t
Figure 2: PyroChar 2000 plant, designed for municipal green waste and wood waste
blends
Solution Delivery – Project Drivers
PacPyro has conducted several feasibility studies on the application of their
commercial scale pyrolysis process for local government and industry partners. The
ability to combine process engineering and mechanical design expertise with
commercial business development, economic modelling and project financing
PacPyro Demonstration Facility
PacPyro has process and mechanical designs for 48 (2 tph) and 96 (4 tph) dry tonne
per day commercial units (PyroChar 2000 and PyroChar 4000 respectively). Three
48 tonne per day unit design can be seen below.
PyroChar 2000 plant, designed for municipal green waste and wood waste
Project Drivers
PacPyro has conducted several feasibility studies on the application of their
commercial scale pyrolysis process for local government and industry partners. The
ability to combine process engineering and mechanical design expertise with
s development, economic modelling and project financing
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PacPyro has process and mechanical designs for 48 (2 tph) and 96 (4 tph) dry tonne
per day commercial units (PyroChar 2000 and PyroChar 4000 respectively). Three
onne per day unit design can be seen below.
PyroChar 2000 plant, designed for municipal green waste and wood waste
PacPyro has conducted several feasibility studies on the application of their
commercial scale pyrolysis process for local government and industry partners. The
ability to combine process engineering and mechanical design expertise with
s development, economic modelling and project financing
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capability is a core competitive strength of PacPyro. Areas where PacPyro aim to
provide solutions by delivering project using their technology are set out in the table
below:
Waste Management
• Provide waste management solutions for a wide range of source separated organic wastes destined for landfill or low value applications. • Improving the efficiency of existing manufacturing and industrial processes through transformation of waste products to usable energy and products. • Decreasing mass and volume and hence haulage cost of bulky and wet organics. • Reducing the carbon liability associated with organics waste management.
Energy Security
• Provide access to cheaper/more competitive energy pricing and reducing the impact of the escalating costs (financial and social) of fossil fuel based energy. • Securing access to a more dependable or redundant energy supply. • Utilising renewable energy from sustainable local project resources, which are not influenced by international political and market pressures.
Minimising and/or avoiding
environmental rents
• Achieve reduction in carbon liability (greenhouse gas emissions mitigation and sequestration). • Meet demand for renewable energy. • Delivers on need for land remediation or rehabilitation. • Reduce run-off and nutrient leaching (from fertiliser usage) into water ways. • Reduce requirement for landfill (avoid levies).
Improving agronomic outcomes through biochar
• Increased productivity with decreased inputs. • Improved soil health for degraded soils. • Water security through improved water holding capacity of soils.
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Corporate Commitment to “green” image
• Improved environmental footprint. • Achieve sustainability credentials for products. • Achieve vertical integration of energy from waste.
Land Use
• Extending the life of urban landfills. • Reduced agricultural clearing through increased productivity per hectare. • Decreased requirement to mine fossil fuels and new energy resources.
Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas
• Achieve the complementary blending of emission mitigation with the drawing down of carbon from the atmosphere into long term terrestrial sinks.
The Business Case – What makes a feasible project?
PacPyro have been working with clients to conduct feasibility studies for commercial
projects, utilising their technology, with the aim to establishing one or more
commercial demonstration projects in the coming years. As is the case with
commercialising new technology in any industry, overcoming the return hurdle
required for a first-of-kind project is challenging as it must be high to mitigate the
unknown elements of the project.
Projects implementing the technology can derive revenue stream from one or more
of the following:
• Biochar sales;
• Energy sales such as electricity or thermal energy generated from syngas
products;
• Environmental offsets such as policy driven fiscal incentives for greenhouse
gas emissions abatement, renewable energy generation, waste reduction
(avoided landfill levies), etc;
• Organics waste management charges - perhaps offsetting landfill tipping fees.
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PacPyro have found that for the first projects to reach their financial targets it is
necessary for all of the above revenue streams to be achieved. However if one or
more of the revenue streams is performing above market rates, due to some
niche circumstance, then this takes the pressure off the other sources of revenue.
Biochar Markets
It is proposed that biochar be sold into the higher value home gardening and
horticultural markets as an ingredient in growing media or potting mixes or as a
product in its own right. Products that are currently well established in this market
include materials such as; perlite, vermiculite, rockwool, scorcia, peat, hydroton (clay
pebbles), coir, horticultural barks.
PacPyro have been world leaders in fostering the scientific development of biochar
products as soil amendments through the production and provision of biochar to
research groups, actively collaborating in research programs and through publishing
findings in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. The biochar product from the
PacPyro pyrolysis process continues to attract scientific, political and industry
attention due to its demonstrated benefits as a soil amendment that can beneficially
sequester carbon. PacPyro’s technology platform ensures the production of a
highly quality controlled and sustainable, AgricharTM biochar product. PacPyro brings
a wealth of biochar research knowledge, developed as a result of its collaborations
with many research institutions of high regard, to their projects. This enhances the
marketability of biochars produced by the PacPyro technology.
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Figure 3: AgricharTM Biochar made from crop residue (wheat straw) and an SEM
micrograph showing the highly developed porous structure of AgricharTM biochar.
Some benefits of biochar products have been set out in the table along with
quantitative estimates of the benefits concerned. It is noted that not all biochars
have the same impacts in all soils and the crop productivity results depend on many
factors including soil, biochar, crop, and climate.
Table 1: Biochar Advantaged and Benefits
Advantage Example of Potential Benefit
Increase water holding capacity of the
soil
27% in field water capacity (Chan et al.,
2007)
Increase biomass (crop) production Up to 320% (Nehls, 2002)
Increase soil carbon levels Increase proportional to quantity of
biochar introduced (1-2% increases
easily achieved with standard application
rates). Further consequential labile
carbon accumulation has been observed
(Van Zwieten et al., 2010c).
Improve fertiliser use efficiency Nitrogen inputs can be reduced by up to
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90% while achieving the same crop
growth response (Van Zwieten et al.,
2010a).
Increase soil pH Increases of up to 2.6 pH units observed
(Van Zwieten et al., 2010b).
Decrease aluminium toxicity Inhibiting levels of aluminium can be
reduced to below detection limits using
biochar for soil remediation (Van Zwieten
et al., 2008).
Decrease tensile strength Tensile strength of hard setting soils
reduced by 70% (Chan et al., 2007).
Change microbiology of the soil Biochar has been demonstrated to
improve mycorrhizal colonisation
(Solaiman et al., 2010).
Decrease emissions from soil of the
greenhouse gases
Up to 86% reduction of applied nitrogen
lost as N2O observed (Van Zwieten et al.,
2009). Complete suppression of CH4
observed (Rondon et al., 2005).
Improve soil conditions for earthworm
populations
Earthworms have shown a preference for
ferrosol soil amended with biochar (Van
Zwieten et al., 2010b).
Increase CEC, especially over the long-
term
Increases in CEC of approximately 300%
have been measured in biochar treated
soils over the long term (Downie et al.,
2011).
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Conclusions
PacPyro are making significant progress in commercialising their slow-pyrolysis
technology for the conversion of waste organics to bioenergy and biochar. There is
significant potential for the New Zealand waste management sector to benefit for the
utilisation of such technology to deliver a number of solutions. Establishing a
commercial-scale demonstration project, along with developing markets for biochar
products will be critical to reducing the technical and commercials risks associated
with the technology so that it can be rolled-out extensively into multiple project
opportunities.
References
Chan, K.Y., Van Zwieten, L., Meszaros, I., Downie, A., Joseph, S., 2007. Agronomic values of greenwaste biochar as a soil amendment. Aust J Soil Res 45, 629-634. Downie, A.E., Van Zwieten, L., Smernik, R.J., Morris, S., Munroe, P.R., 2011. Terra Preta Australis: Reassessing the carbon storage capacity of temperate soils. Agriculture, Ecosystems Environment 140, 137-147. Rondon, M.A., Ramirez, J., Lehmann, J., 2005. Charcoal additions reduce net emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Third USDA Symposium on greenhouse gases and carbon sequestration, Baltimore, p. 208. Solaiman, Z.M., Blackwell, P., Abbott, L.K., Storer, P., 2010. Direct and residual effect of biochar application on mycorrhizal root colonisation, growth and nutrition of wheat. Aust J Soil Res 48, 546-554.
Van Zwieten, L., Kimber, S., Downie, A., Morris, S., Petty, S., Rust, J., Chan, K.Y., 2010a. A glasshouse study on the interaction of low mineral ash biochar with nitrogen in a sandy soil. Aust J Soil Res 48, 569-576. Van Zwieten, L., kimber, S., downie, A., Sinclair, K., Chan, K.Y., 2008. Field assessment of Biochar: Agronomic performance and soil fertility. International Biochar Initiative, Newcastle, UK. Van Zwieten, L., Kimber, S., Morris, S., Chan, K.Y., Downie, A., Rust, J., Joseph, S., Cowie, A., 2010b. Effects of biochar from slow pyrolysis of papermill waste on agronomic performance and soil fertility. Plant Soil 327, 235-246. Van Zwieten, L., Sinclair, K., Slavich, P., Morris, S.G., Kimber, S., Downie, A., 2010c. Influence of biochar on soil fertility, carbon storage and biomass production in a subtropical pasture: results from a 3 year field study. International Biochar Conference, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Van Zwieten, L., Singh, B., Joseph, S., Kimber, S., A., C., Chan, K.Y., 2009. Biochar and Emissions of Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases from Soil. In: Lehmann, J., Joseph, S. (Eds.), Biochar for Environmental Management: Science and Technology. Earthscan, London.