Merrick signs with Genifuel for Reliance Industries hydrothermal processing pilot system

In Colorado, Merrick & Company has signed with Genifuel Corporation to provide the design and commissioning of a hydrothermal processing pilot system for Reliance Industries, Ltd. Merrick is responsible for the design of the facility, from front end engineering through detailed design and testing. The system will process whole algae into biocrude, fuel gas, and usable byproducts, Unlike traditional extraction methods, which separate lipids out of algae to make biodiesel. This doubles the yield of biofuel from algae and cuts the cost of production by 86 percent.

The system uses heat, pressure, and catalysts to chemically and physically convert wet feedstocks into natural gas or oil that can then be further refined into aviation fuel, gasoline, and diesel. The system is skid mounted with electrical, instrumentation, and controls components that are compatible with the standards of India, where it will be expanded to a larger scale after testing is finalized on the current system.

The technology originated at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, WA. The Federal Laboratory Consortium just awarded PNNL the 2015 Excellence in Technology Transfer for its work on the project.
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