Integration of Pipeline Hydro-Transport of Forest Biomass with Hydrothermal Conversion Technologies for the Production of Fuel and Power

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Canada has a vast forest biomass resource potential. There also exist extensive expertise and large infrastructure in Canada for handling resources and producing energy from forest biomass. Earlier studies have indicated that production of biofuels could be economically attractive if the technical challenges of transporting biomass and converting into value-added products are overcome. Replacing costly truck delivery of biomass with pipeline hydro-transport (transporting in the form of biomass-water mixtures - slurry) would significantly resolve the biomass transportation issue. Pipeline hydro-transport of biomass benefits from the economy of scale and continuous supply, also helps bio-based energy facilities achieve an attractive scale. Integrating pipeline delivery of biomass with efficient hydrothermal (HT) biomass processing technology could transform the bioeconomy and help producing power at a significantly lower cost and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The overall objective of this research is to develop and assess the concept of integrating wood chip pipeline transport with HT liquefaction and HT gasification for production of fuel and power. This is a transformative concept and first-of-its-kind. This project would involve experimental work, process simulation, and cost modeling. The research would include measuring the physical and mechanical properties of wood chip-water mixtures that are specifically compatible to HT technologies and would result in significant progress beyond the-state-of-the-art. The results of the experimental research would provide input to simulation model for the HT conversion of biomass into bio-oil and syngas. Finally, the results of the experimental and simulation work would be used in understanding the potential of this technology. This research program would integrate stakeholders representing the whole biomass value chain including biomass producer and supplier, biomass conversion sector, biofuel utilization sector, biomass policy think-tank and academia. The project aims at training 7 highly qualified personnel who could contribute significantly to Canadian economy.