Bio-SynDiesel and Bio-SynJet from EBTL and BETL Processes

By  David J. Patterson and Gord Crawford, Expander Energy Inc.
Special to The Digest

Expander’s Enhanced Biomass to Liquids (EBTL™) and Biomass Electrolysis to Liquids (BETL™) processes produce and combine hydrogen and carbon monoxide into paraffin carbon chains in the diesel boiling range to produce “drop-in” synthetic diesel or jet fuel. The three elements for the process:

1. Expander proprietary tar free biomass gasifier using Core Enabling Technology CETL™
2. Hydrogen generation using either a Steam Methane Reformer (SMR) or Water / Steam Electrolyzer
3. Greyrock Energy’s proprietary Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor.

Bio-SynDiesel® is paraffin hydrocarbon derived from (atmospheric) carbon, is fungible with petroleum diesel and can be blended at any ratio. Bio-SynDiesel® is a premium diesel with zero sulphur, Cetane >75 (petroleum diesel 40 in North America and 51 in Europe) and no aromatics. This results in lower NOx and particulate emissions. Higher Cetane number results in more even combustion reducing unburned hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions. It is sulphur free thereby eliminating SOx from the engine exhaust. In addition, there is modest reduction in carbon dioxide emissions since paraffins have a higher hydrogen/carbon ratio than both cycloparaffins and aromatics.

Greyrock’s FT synthesis technology produces chemically identical paraffins as the Shell and SASOL processes. However, there is a difference in the post reactor processing. Greyrock’s process limits the carbon chain length to the end point of diesel and only the light-ends need to be removed by distillation. Shell or SASOL processes react to form long chain waxes which are subsequently hydro-processed and fractionated into various boiling ranges including diesel. This distinction enables the Greyrock technology to be economical at small scale and is preferred for Expander’s BTL projects. The Shell and similarly processed diesels require lubricity additives whereas Bio-SynDiesel® does not. Bio-SynDiesel® will meet summer diesel cold pour point specifications without hydro processing. Winter diesel specifications can be met through addition of pour point depressant and blending with petroleum diesel.

Synthetic Diesel improves engine performance and air quality. Synthetic Diesel has shown to be “readily biodegradable” achieving 60% biodegradation within 28 days.

Although Expander’s Bio-SynDiesel® can be fractionated to meet both North America’s ASTM D975 and Europe’s CEN 15940 specifications for neat diesel, the comparatively small scale of EBTL™ production suggests that it is more useful as a blend.

Bio-SynDiesel® is a superior synthetic diesel product that can be directly substituted for conventional petroleum diesel, with zero sulphur content, higher cetane, lower cloud point, improved stability, biodegradability relative to traditional biodiesels and lower airshed impact (particulates).

Expander’s Biomass Gasifier uses cellulose (wood or agricultural waste) to produce tar free renewable syngas which is used to make Near Net-Zero Carbon Intensity Synthetic Diesel. Expander’s Enhanced Biomass to Liquids (EBTL™) process converts cellulosic biomass into fossil free renewable Bio-SynDiesel® with a calculated Life Cycle Carbon Intensity (depending on heat and material balance, site location and feedstock supply) of as low as -44 gCO2e/MJ. Expander’s Biomass Electrolysis to Liquids (BETL™) process utilizes low carbon intensity electricity (hydro / nuclear) and cellulosic biomass to produce fossil free renewable Bio-SynDiesel® that has a calculated Life Cycle Carbon Intensity (depending on heat and material balance, site location and feedstock supply) of as low as 11 gCO2e/MJ.

              Canada has a demand for 18 billion litres of diesel distillate per year.

Forest Managers highly support the development of bioindustries capable of using the waste forest biomass from harvest operations, wood processing mills, and which help reduce fuel loading from removal of waste debris. Removal of waste forest biomass from stand treatments; to FireSmart our forest landscapes, assists in reducing the spread of wildfires. Future partnerships with Forest Industries will not only provide biomass feedstocks (carbon cycling in the environment) but also aid in the reduction of carbon emissions from mitigating the spread of forest wildfires (which are accelerating from Climate Change). And waste forest biomass is an abundant low cost source of cellulosic biomass which can be expanded to integrate other sources such as dead tree snags in burned over forests, right-of-way land clearing or agricultural/industrial expansion waste.

The Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) indicates: “ Canada has sustainable biomass for 7-10 billion litres of SAF a year.” Considerably more with use of dead trees from wildfire or using stumps left after harvesting. “This amount of biomass, if prioritized for aviation, is about what Canada would need to meet total aviation fuel demand in 2030. In order to decarbonize Canadian aviation while seizing the considerable economic opportunities in the supply chain, Canada has to meet that 2030 target by building an ecosystem that is ready to scale. That ecosystem will only be ready to scale if we create demand-pull on nascent supply chains for the Canadian feedstocks that will be critical for long-term goals: oilseeds and waste fats, forest residues, agricultural residues, and the hydrogen and carbon dioxide streams needed for power-to-liquids.”

Since 2022 the Rocky Mountain Clean Fuels project at Carseland, Alberta; using proven Fischer Tropsch technology with natural gas, has proven viable production of SynDiesel and naptha. Installation of Expander Energy’s proprietary tar free biomass gasifier to produce syngas to produce Bio-SynDiesel will occur at Carseland in 2025.

Expander Energy’s Enhanced Biomass to Liquids (EBTL™) using their proprietary biomass gasification, enhanced (Greyrock Energy) F-T technologies and the ability to use cheaper renewable cellulosic biomass feedstocks; provides synfuels that are competitive with fossil fuels at the 600 barrels per day economy of scale. We await for their next steps of moving forward with their Biomass Electrolysis to Liquids (BETL™) and Core Enabling Technology CETL™.

Specification Differences:

1 – adjustable by distillation, 2 – without additive (typical – varies depending on operating conditions), 3 – with additive                            4 – Isomerization unit option to be available by 2025 for Arctic diesel and SAF production

Renewable Diesels (HDRD) versus Biodiesel (FAME)