An assessment of gasification-based biorefining at kraft pulp and paper mills in the United States,Part A:Background and assumptions

摘要

Commercialization of black liquor and biomass gasification technologies is anticipated in the 2010-2015 time frame,and synthesis gas from gasifiers can be converted into liquid fuels using catalytic synthesis technologies that are already commercially established in the gas-to-liquids or coal-to-liquids industries.This set of two papers describes key results from a major assessment of the prospective energy,environmental,and financial performance of commercial gasification-based biorefineries integrated with kraft pulp and paper mills [1|.Seven detailed biorefinery designs were developed for a reference mill in the southeastern United States,together with the associated mass/energy balances,air emissions estimates,and capital investment requirements.The biorefineries provide chemical recovery services and co-produce process steam for the mill,some electricity,and one of three liquid fuels:a Fischer-Tropsch synthetic crude oil(which could be refined to vehicle fuels at an existing petroleum refinery),dimethyl ether(a diesel engine fuel or propane substitute),or an ethanol-rich mixed-alcohol product.This paper describes the key assumptions that underlie the biorefinery designs.Part B will present analytical results.