OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIOMASS PYROLYSIS LIQUIDS PRODUCTION AND UPGRADING

Considerable work has been carried out on flash pyrolysis processes for liquid fuel production from biomass. The crude pyrolysis liquid may be used directly to substitute for conventional fuels or in more demanding applications such as gas turbines where the quality may not be sufficiently high to ensure trouble-free operation. In this latter case, upgrading to a higher quality fuel may be necessary, and two routes are available: hydrotreating and zeolite synthesis of hydrocarbons. The technologies and status of flash pyrolysis and upgrading technologies are reviewed. Recently derived cost and performance data are used to illustrate the economic and technical opportunities for upgrading crude pyrolysis liquids into the higher quality fuel demanded by more advanced technologies. Without fiscal incentives, liquids derived from commercially grown biomass cannot currently compete with traditional fuels.