The Competitive Edge: Highbury Energy
Highbury Energy
Q: What was the reason for founding your organization – what was the open niche you saw that could be addressed with a new product or service? What was the problem, or gap, or opportunity?
Highbury was founded in 2009 on the premise that the thermochemical conversion of biomass to syngas is an ideal step toward the production of renewable low carbon intensity fuels. However the challenges associated with first generation gasification needed to be addressed and were subsequently solved by Highbury
- Feedstock input flexibility. Can use sawdust and chunks of bark at the same time
- Dual bed system requiring no external oxygen or heat supply other than for start-up. Self produced char is used as heat source
- Patented syngas tar removal and gas clean-up system
- Reduced capex and opex costs
Q: Tell us about your organization. What do you do?
Highbury has developed a financially attractive and cost effective smaller scale biomass to low carbon liquid fuels technology platform utilizing dual bed gasification and next generation Fischer Tropsch (sweet spot is only 125,000 bdt/year biomass input).
Q: What stage of development are you?
Pilot stage – proven at small, non-integrated scale
Q: What do your technologies, products or services do and accomplish – how does it (they) work, who is it (they) aimed for?
Highbury is ready for the competitive conversion of biomass into low carbon intensity renewable liquid fuels. Employing its proprietary and advanced thermochemical process, patented syngas clean-up and KIER developed and enhanced Fischer Tropsch technology, Highbury and project partners are collaborating to build and operate a fully integrated demonstration facility and subsequent initial commercial scale facility in British Columbia Canada. Biocrude produced will be fully fungible and refinery ready with a boiling curve very similar to fossil based crude oil but with a carbon index of less than 4.
Q: Competitively, what gives your technology, product or service set an edge in cost or performance, sustainability, or any other aspect, that makes it stand out from the crowd, In short, what makes it transformative?
1. Highly competitive at a smaller scale with a proportionally lower capex and lower opex
2. Fully fungible and refinery ready biocrude with a carbon index of less than 4.
3. Highbury can produce a medium BTU, low sulphur, nitrogen free high value syngas that can readily replace and is compatible with fossil based natural gas sources
Q: What are the 3 top milestones you have accomplished in the past 3 years?
- Fully operational 0.4 BDT/day input biomass Highbury pilot, two stage fluidized bed, steam gasification process, operating without tonnage oxygen and requiring no outside energy source
- Highly competitive and fully integrated biomass to low carbon intensity fuels technology platform
- Clear pathway to commercialization and revenue including the necessary project consortium partners
Q: What are the 3 top milestones you will accomplish in the next 3 years?
- Scale-up current pilot gasifier 10X.
- Integrate KIER developed FT system, prove commercial production costs, product quality and scalability.
- Design and engineer initial commercial scale facility and roll-out pathway to revenue
Q. Where can I learn more about Highbury Energy?
Click here to visit Highbury’s website.
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