Periodic Reporting for period 3 - CERESiS (ContaminatEd land Remediation through Energy crops for Soil improvement to liquid biofuel Strategies)
Período documentado: 2023-05-01 hasta 2024-07-31
Biofuels are one of only few mature options for decarbonizing transport in the short to medium term. However, they are often criticised for indirect land use change (ILUC). This significantly limits the amounts of sustainable biofuel that can be produced. At the same time, significant areas of contaminated land remain unused, including 2.8 million potentially contaminated sites in the EU-28.
CERESiS aims to provide a win-win sustainable solution to both issues by facilitating land decontamination through phytoremediation and phytomanagement, growing energy crops to produce clean biofuels. In the longer term, this will increase the land available for agriculture, due to removal or stabilisation of contaminants, while at the same time producing non-ILUC biofuels.
The project has three key objectives. 1. to demonstrate the suitability and effectiveness of various conventional and novel species of energy crops for phytoremediation purposes in contaminated land, against a variety of the most common contaminants globally, considering both inorganic potentially toxic elements (including heavy metals) and organic compounds. CERESiS has successfully demonstrated the potential of using various ligno-cellulosic biomass species for this purpose, focusing particularly on high-yield low-cost perennial seeded grasses (Reed Canary Grass) for phytomanagement and biofuels production 2. to demonstrate the potential of two novel thermochemical processes, i.e. Supercritical Water Gasification and Fast Pyrolysis, for the production of biofuels and key biofuel precursors suitable for further upgrading, from contaminated biomass, while developing beyond state-of-the-art technologies for the conversion of the organic contaminants and the separation or confinement of the inorganic contaminants. Both technologies, as well as the accompanying contaminant separation technologies, have been optimised for using contaminated biomass and have demonstrated significantly improved performance 3. to provide decision support to stakeholders and policy makers in order to achieve optimal win-win solutions for site-specific land decontamination through phytoremediation while simultaneously producing clean liquid biofuels. A dedicated Decision Support platform has been developed and applied in 5 Use Cases, as an online, free to use tool (https://dss.ceresis.eu/)
CERESiS aims to provide a win-win sustainable solution to both issues by facilitating land decontamination through phytoremediation and phytomanagement, growing energy crops to produce clean biofuels. In the longer term, this will increase the land available for agriculture, due to removal or stabilisation of contaminants, while at the same time producing non-ILUC biofuels.
The project has three key objectives. 1. to demonstrate the suitability and effectiveness of various conventional and novel species of energy crops for phytoremediation purposes in contaminated land, against a variety of the most common contaminants globally, considering both inorganic potentially toxic elements (including heavy metals) and organic compounds. CERESiS has successfully demonstrated the potential of using various ligno-cellulosic biomass species for this purpose, focusing particularly on high-yield low-cost perennial seeded grasses (Reed Canary Grass) for phytomanagement and biofuels production 2. to demonstrate the potential of two novel thermochemical processes, i.e. Supercritical Water Gasification and Fast Pyrolysis, for the production of biofuels and key biofuel precursors suitable for further upgrading, from contaminated biomass, while developing beyond state-of-the-art technologies for the conversion of the organic contaminants and the separation or confinement of the inorganic contaminants. Both technologies, as well as the accompanying contaminant separation technologies, have been optimised for using contaminated biomass and have demonstrated significantly improved performance 3. to provide decision support to stakeholders and policy makers in order to achieve optimal win-win solutions for site-specific land decontamination through phytoremediation while simultaneously producing clean liquid biofuels. A dedicated Decision Support platform has been developed and applied in 5 Use Cases, as an online, free to use tool (https://dss.ceresis.eu/)
17 field or greenhouse trials were planted using soils from 9 contaminated & brownfield sites in UK, Italy, Ukraine, Brazil. Samples of 10 different biomass species have been collected, mainly from grassy energy crop species. Significant progress has been made towards optimisation of cultivation and harvesting methods of novel energy crops, such as Phalaris arundinacea (Reed Canary Grass), to facilitate utilisation of contaminated, non-agricultural sites with minimal tillage, soil compaction or surface compost blankets. Additionally, phytoremediation strategies have been developed by comparing different biomass plants, planting and harvesting strategies.
For the Supercritical Water Gasification technology pathway, over 100 experiments were performed, leading to a number of redesigns and re-configurations of the lab-scale plant. The influence of important process parameters was assessed, and optimal values were suggested for a further application. Ultimately a gasification efficiency of up to 100% was achieved in lab-scale conditions. A Membrane Gas Absorption process for acid gas removal from the gas effluent has been developed and tested, demonstrating high process efficiency and stability with long – term tests. A parametric analysis of the Membrane Gas Absorption process has identified the most suitable process conditions either for selective H2S or for combined H2S/CO2 removal. Also, a hybrid electrocoagulation/electrochemical oxidation lab pilot setup has been constructed, determining the effect of different parameters on contaminant removal.
For the reforming stage, the lab-scale experimental setup has been modified, achieving an operational reactor for dry reforming and up to 93% conversion of H2 deficient syngas to biofuels. An operational Fischer Tropsch Synthesis lab-scale experimental setup and a structured catalyst have been developed, identifying the optimal operating conditions and achieving an 84% CO conversion rate and 10% CH4 selectivity.
For the Fast Pyrolysis technology pathway, a new experimental plant with an auger-type reactor has been designed, successfully converting 10 different biomass types with the final lab-plant configuration. An experimental campaign defined the optimal operating conditions of the reactor. Results show that no pre-treatment of biomass is needed. Combustion tests led to the definition of optimal operating condition for pyrolysis gas combustion, and a novel moderate and intense low-oxygen dilution combustion process was tested, successfully allowing the conversion of very low heating value gas (> 7MJ/kg) without the need for pre-heating. 6.5 kg of bio-oil have been produced and used for microfiltration experiments in a microfiltration laboratory pilot unit designed and constructed in house.
A Decision Support System has been developed, incorporating Life Cycle and Supply Chain optimization methodologies. The CERESiS decision support platform aims to provide critical information to decision makers on the suitability of pathways consisting of combinations of energy crops and biofuel conversion technologies for specific applications, and it was also applied in a 5 use cases.
The project outcomes have been extensively communicated and disseminated through several channels, such as 11 open-access journal articles; 31 presentations at international conferences; 9 training and open days; 4 exhibitions and trade fairs etc. An exploitation plan has been prepared.
For the Supercritical Water Gasification technology pathway, over 100 experiments were performed, leading to a number of redesigns and re-configurations of the lab-scale plant. The influence of important process parameters was assessed, and optimal values were suggested for a further application. Ultimately a gasification efficiency of up to 100% was achieved in lab-scale conditions. A Membrane Gas Absorption process for acid gas removal from the gas effluent has been developed and tested, demonstrating high process efficiency and stability with long – term tests. A parametric analysis of the Membrane Gas Absorption process has identified the most suitable process conditions either for selective H2S or for combined H2S/CO2 removal. Also, a hybrid electrocoagulation/electrochemical oxidation lab pilot setup has been constructed, determining the effect of different parameters on contaminant removal.
For the reforming stage, the lab-scale experimental setup has been modified, achieving an operational reactor for dry reforming and up to 93% conversion of H2 deficient syngas to biofuels. An operational Fischer Tropsch Synthesis lab-scale experimental setup and a structured catalyst have been developed, identifying the optimal operating conditions and achieving an 84% CO conversion rate and 10% CH4 selectivity.
For the Fast Pyrolysis technology pathway, a new experimental plant with an auger-type reactor has been designed, successfully converting 10 different biomass types with the final lab-plant configuration. An experimental campaign defined the optimal operating conditions of the reactor. Results show that no pre-treatment of biomass is needed. Combustion tests led to the definition of optimal operating condition for pyrolysis gas combustion, and a novel moderate and intense low-oxygen dilution combustion process was tested, successfully allowing the conversion of very low heating value gas (> 7MJ/kg) without the need for pre-heating. 6.5 kg of bio-oil have been produced and used for microfiltration experiments in a microfiltration laboratory pilot unit designed and constructed in house.
A Decision Support System has been developed, incorporating Life Cycle and Supply Chain optimization methodologies. The CERESiS decision support platform aims to provide critical information to decision makers on the suitability of pathways consisting of combinations of energy crops and biofuel conversion technologies for specific applications, and it was also applied in a 5 use cases.
The project outcomes have been extensively communicated and disseminated through several channels, such as 11 open-access journal articles; 31 presentations at international conferences; 9 training and open days; 4 exhibitions and trade fairs etc. An exploitation plan has been prepared.
• A strategy of using low-uptake, high productivity grassy energy crop species, to optimise the biomass and energy production and minimise contamination levels has been successfully demonstrated
• X-ray computed tomography imaging has shown that at least some of the contamination is due to persistent adhering dust
• Successful growth and agronomy of Phalaris arundinacea in both Mediterranean and continental European climatic conditions has been demonstrated
• The Lab-scale supercritical water gasification plant has been reconfigured with respect to increased concentrations of toxic elements in the process effluent streams, reaching high
gasification rates for low humidity feedstock
• Process efficiency is increased through demonstration of recycling the reactor effluent of the gasification process to reduce the amount of waste water
• A Membrane Gas Absorption process for acid gas removal from the gasification gas effluent has been developed, parametrized and a semi-pilot unit has been designed.
• A new plant has been developed for Fast Pyrolysis experiments corresponding to an auger pyrolysis reactor presenting technological innovations able to reduce liquid cleaning operations
• Combustion of pyrolysis gas in a cyclonic burner operated under MILD conditions has been validated and optimized
• An “in-house” microfiltration laboratory pilot unit was constructed
• A detailed kinetic mechanism for supercritical water gasification of methanol was developed
• A novel open-access web-based Decision Support System was developed to facilitate the multi-criteria assessment of potential phytoremediation-to-biofuels value chains
• X-ray computed tomography imaging has shown that at least some of the contamination is due to persistent adhering dust
• Successful growth and agronomy of Phalaris arundinacea in both Mediterranean and continental European climatic conditions has been demonstrated
• The Lab-scale supercritical water gasification plant has been reconfigured with respect to increased concentrations of toxic elements in the process effluent streams, reaching high
gasification rates for low humidity feedstock
• Process efficiency is increased through demonstration of recycling the reactor effluent of the gasification process to reduce the amount of waste water
• A Membrane Gas Absorption process for acid gas removal from the gasification gas effluent has been developed, parametrized and a semi-pilot unit has been designed.
• A new plant has been developed for Fast Pyrolysis experiments corresponding to an auger pyrolysis reactor presenting technological innovations able to reduce liquid cleaning operations
• Combustion of pyrolysis gas in a cyclonic burner operated under MILD conditions has been validated and optimized
• An “in-house” microfiltration laboratory pilot unit was constructed
• A detailed kinetic mechanism for supercritical water gasification of methanol was developed
• A novel open-access web-based Decision Support System was developed to facilitate the multi-criteria assessment of potential phytoremediation-to-biofuels value chains