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Biomass Gasification is Next at Nexterra
CANADA - After two years of biomass gasification testing at the company's Product Development Centre in Kamloops, BC, Nexterra Energy Corp. has confirmed that renewable synthesis gas, or "syngas", produced by its gasifier has the ability to displace at least 60 per cent of fossil fuels used in lime kilns.
Depending on the biomass feedstock
and existing equipment configurations, 95 per cent substitution may be
possible at many pulp mills, and up to 100 per cent in certain types of
boilers.
The ability to convey syngas from where it is produced and combust it
inside existing thermal process equipment could lead to dramatic cost and CO2
emissions reductions in a number of industries. The system could be used in
multiple industrial applications including pulp mill lime kilns, power
boilers, rotary dryers and calciners commonly found in mineral processing,
mining, cement and ethanol production industries.
"Nexterra's direct fire biomass gasification system is now ready for
demonstration at commercial scale," said Jonathan Rhone, Nexterra President
and CEO. "Once proven at this scale, we plan a full commercial rollout for
industries such as pulp and paper, wood products, mining and others that want
to reduce operating costs while lowering their carbon footprint. Up to now,
these customers were limited to using either natural gas or fuel oil. Syngas
offers a cheaper, carbon-neutral and renewable fuel alternative."
Nexterra's first generation gasification systems are close-coupled with
heat exchangers to generate hot water, steam or hot air. The new direct fire
application enables customers to decouple the process by producing syngas in
one location and combusting it elsewhere on a site. The product development
program included process simulation of end user equipment, as well as testing
of specialized syngas conveying, pressurization and burner equipment at
Nexterra's test facility.
Nexterra's technological breakthrough makes the switch from fossil fuels
to syngas an attractive option for North America's more than 100 kraft pulp
mills and other industrial sites which face record high natural gas prices
and, in British Columbia's case, new carbon taxes.
Installation of a Nexterra direct fire gasification system at an average
sized commercial pulp mill lime kiln, for example, has the potential to reduce
natural gas consumption by more than 800,000 gigajoules (GJ) per year, the
equivalent amount of natural gas needed to heat 5,000 residential homes. In
addition, such a system could save a mill several million dollars annually and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25,000 tonnes per year.
The direct fire testing program was supported by Sustainable Development
Technology Canada (SDTC), a not-for-profit foundation created by the
Government of Canada, as well as by Canada's National Research Council/IRAP
Program, Natural Resources Canada and Ethanol BC.
Nexterra will present a paper on its direct fire program for lime kilns
and boilers at the TAPPI 2008 Engineering, Pulping and Environmental
Conference (www.tappi.org) in Portland, OR, on August 27, 2008.
TheBioenergySite News Desk
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