Efficiency Comparison of Large-Scale Standalone, Centralized, and Distributed Thermochemical Biorefineries

摘要

We present a comparison of three strategies for the introduction of new biorefineries: standalone and centralized drop-in, which are placed within a cluster of chemical industries, and distributed drop-in, which is connected to other plants by a pipeline. The aim was to quantify the efficiencies and the production ranges to support local transition to a circular economy based on biomass usage. The products considered are biomethane (standalone) and hydrogen/biomethane and sustainable town gas (centralized drop-in and distributed drop-in). The analysis is based on a flow-sheet simulation of different process designs at the 100MW(biomass) scale and includes the following aspects: advanced drying systems, the coproduction of ethanol, and power-to-gas conversion by direct heating or water electrolysis. For the standalone plant, the chemical efficiency was in the range of 78-82.8 LHVa.r.50 (lower heating value of the as-received biomass with 50 wet basis moisture), with a maximum production of 72MWCH(4), and for the centralized drop-in and distributed drop-in plants, the chemical efficiency was in the range of 82.8-98.5 LHVa.r.50 with maximum production levels of 85.6MW(STG) and 22.5MWH(2)/51MWCH(4), respectively. It is concluded that standalone plants offer no substantial advantages over distributed drop-in or centralized drop-in plants unless methane is the desired product.