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Fortum, UPM, and Valmet are jointly developing technology to produce advanced biomass-based fuels
F O C U S
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JM announces contract for Qianan LNG plant
clean technology. The new plant will start operations in 2015.
Johnson Matthey is pleased to announce that it has entered into a contract for the supply of technology licence, engineering, catalyst, and technical services to Qianan HongAo Industrial Trade Co Ltd to be used for a methanation plant in China. The plant, to be built in Hebei province, will produce liquefied natural gas (LNG) utilizing offgas from Qianan’s coke ovens. The new plant, expected to be operational in 2015, will use the proprietary CRG methanation process technology from Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies. CRG technology converts carbon oxides and hydrogen to methane which can then be liquefied to give a valuable energy product. As well as providing a useful extra revenue stream for the coke oven operator, this technology avoids potential environmental problems as the offgas from the coke ovens might otherwise be simply vented or burnt. Johnson Matthey is proud to continue its support of the Chinese coke oven industry with its third coke oven gas (COG) to LNG project now secured. In addition to these plants, CRG technology from Johnson Matthey has been licenced to six coal-based substitute natural gas (SNG) plants in China. The company has a strong history of supplying CRG technology and catalysts globally and has successfully demonstrated the technology at commercial scale in multiple applications.
Original Source: RCCnews, 18 Feb 2014, (Website: http://www.rccnews.ru/Eng) © RCCnews.ru 2014
Original Source: Johnson Matthey Catalysts, 10 Mar 2014, (Website: http://www.jmcatalysts.com) © Johnson Matthey plc 2014
Modernization continues at Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat OJSC Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat has started the construction of a 434,000 tonne/y pentane-hexane isomerization plant. The facility is expected to produce a high-octane, high vapour-pressure blending stock used to make gasoline. This will raise the plant’s commercial-grade gasoline production compliant with the Euro-4 and Euro-5 environmental standards. Gasoline added with isomerized stock improves engine performance, reduces harmful emissions and lessens its environmental impact. Axens will provide the new facility’s
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NEW TECHNOLOGY
technology for production of sustainable bio-oil for replacement of heating oil in industrial use. In this project, the consortium aims higher and the target is to develop novel integrated technology to produce high value biofuels to replace fossil transportation fuels, and thereby create new business for the consortium companies. Original Source: UPM-Kymmene, website: http://www.upm.com/ (11 Mar 2014) © UPMKymmene 2014
Novozymes: starch processors save cash with new enzyme Novozymes has announced the launch of a new enzyme solution that helps make starch conversion more efficient. Through boosting yields, cutting chemical usage in half, and facilitating water and energy savings, LpHera saves a starch processor up to $1/tonne of substrate. Starch plants vary in size and can process from 0.2 M to over 1 M tonne/y of substrate. So if a plant processes 0.5 M tonne of substrate, it can save up to $0.5 M/y compared to today’s technology. LpHera targets liquefaction and is designed to break down starch in a way that creates more dextrose when compared to the conventional enzymes used during this process stage. Liquefaction with LpHera also increases dextrose yields by 0.2% points. Original Source: Novozymes, website: http://www.novozymes.com (28 Feb 2014) © Novozymes 2014
Fortum, UPM, and Valmet are jointly developing technology to produce advanced biomass-based fuels Fortum, UPM, and Valmet have joined forces to develop a new, winning technology to produce advanced high value lignocellulosic fuels, such as transportation fuels or higher value bio liquids. The idea is to develop catalytic pyrolysis technology for upgrading bio-oil and commercialize the solution. The five-year project is called LignoCat (lignocellulosic fuels by catalytic pyrolysis). The project is a natural continuation of the consortium’s earlier bio-oil project together with the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, commercializing integrated pyrolysis
Thai and Japanese consortium converting CO2 to CH4 PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP)’s collaboration with Hitachi Zosen Corporation (HITZ) and its subsidiary Daiki Ataka Engineering Co (DAE) will be extended for the second phase of a project that aims to convert carbon dioxide to methane. The pilot unit for the technology is expected to be completed within three years. The first phase of the collaboration, which was signed in Jan 2012, includes the conceptual design of a methanation reactor. It has also yielded a high-performance catalyst free of rare earth elements, which is capable of converting hydrogen to methane at 99% efficiency at low temperature. The use of the catalyst requires low operating costs. The generated methane or recycled CO2 can be used as a renewable energy storage, which helps in controlling climate change. PTTEP is also considering research for a wind turbine concept appropriate for Thailand as the source of green hydrogen needed for the methanation reaction. Original Source: Bangkok Post, 4 Mar 2014, (Website: http://www.bangkokpost.com) © The Post Publishing PCL 2014
Patent picks: from cellulosic ethanol to butanol In a world patent application (WO 20120004572), BP Biofuels described how ruthenium phosphine catalysts can convert ethanol to butanol. The process will produce a butanol product that is not toxic to microbes producing the fuel alternative. The patent also describes that the ethanol
MAY 2014
O N
C ATA LY S T S
JM announces contract for Qianan LNG plant
clean technology. The new plant will start operations in 2015.
Johnson Matthey is pleased to announce that it has entered into a contract for the supply of technology licence, engineering, catalyst, and technical services to Qianan HongAo Industrial Trade Co Ltd to be used for a methanation plant in China. The plant, to be built in Hebei province, will produce liquefied natural gas (LNG) utilizing offgas from Qianan’s coke ovens. The new plant, expected to be operational in 2015, will use the proprietary CRG methanation process technology from Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies. CRG technology converts carbon oxides and hydrogen to methane which can then be liquefied to give a valuable energy product. As well as providing a useful extra revenue stream for the coke oven operator, this technology avoids potential environmental problems as the offgas from the coke ovens might otherwise be simply vented or burnt. Johnson Matthey is proud to continue its support of the Chinese coke oven industry with its third coke oven gas (COG) to LNG project now secured. In addition to these plants, CRG technology from Johnson Matthey has been licenced to six coal-based substitute natural gas (SNG) plants in China. The company has a strong history of supplying CRG technology and catalysts globally and has successfully demonstrated the technology at commercial scale in multiple applications.
Original Source: RCCnews, 18 Feb 2014, (Website: http://www.rccnews.ru/Eng) © RCCnews.ru 2014
Original Source: Johnson Matthey Catalysts, 10 Mar 2014, (Website: http://www.jmcatalysts.com) © Johnson Matthey plc 2014
Modernization continues at Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat OJSC Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat has started the construction of a 434,000 tonne/y pentane-hexane isomerization plant. The facility is expected to produce a high-octane, high vapour-pressure blending stock used to make gasoline. This will raise the plant’s commercial-grade gasoline production compliant with the Euro-4 and Euro-5 environmental standards. Gasoline added with isomerized stock improves engine performance, reduces harmful emissions and lessens its environmental impact. Axens will provide the new facility’s
6
NEW TECHNOLOGY
technology for production of sustainable bio-oil for replacement of heating oil in industrial use. In this project, the consortium aims higher and the target is to develop novel integrated technology to produce high value biofuels to replace fossil transportation fuels, and thereby create new business for the consortium companies. Original Source: UPM-Kymmene, website: http://www.upm.com/ (11 Mar 2014) © UPMKymmene 2014
Novozymes: starch processors save cash with new enzyme Novozymes has announced the launch of a new enzyme solution that helps make starch conversion more efficient. Through boosting yields, cutting chemical usage in half, and facilitating water and energy savings, LpHera saves a starch processor up to $1/tonne of substrate. Starch plants vary in size and can process from 0.2 M to over 1 M tonne/y of substrate. So if a plant processes 0.5 M tonne of substrate, it can save up to $0.5 M/y compared to today’s technology. LpHera targets liquefaction and is designed to break down starch in a way that creates more dextrose when compared to the conventional enzymes used during this process stage. Liquefaction with LpHera also increases dextrose yields by 0.2% points. Original Source: Novozymes, website: http://www.novozymes.com (28 Feb 2014) © Novozymes 2014
Fortum, UPM, and Valmet are jointly developing technology to produce advanced biomass-based fuels Fortum, UPM, and Valmet have joined forces to develop a new, winning technology to produce advanced high value lignocellulosic fuels, such as transportation fuels or higher value bio liquids. The idea is to develop catalytic pyrolysis technology for upgrading bio-oil and commercialize the solution. The five-year project is called LignoCat (lignocellulosic fuels by catalytic pyrolysis). The project is a natural continuation of the consortium’s earlier bio-oil project together with the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, commercializing integrated pyrolysis
Thai and Japanese consortium converting CO2 to CH4 PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP)’s collaboration with Hitachi Zosen Corporation (HITZ) and its subsidiary Daiki Ataka Engineering Co (DAE) will be extended for the second phase of a project that aims to convert carbon dioxide to methane. The pilot unit for the technology is expected to be completed within three years. The first phase of the collaboration, which was signed in Jan 2012, includes the conceptual design of a methanation reactor. It has also yielded a high-performance catalyst free of rare earth elements, which is capable of converting hydrogen to methane at 99% efficiency at low temperature. The use of the catalyst requires low operating costs. The generated methane or recycled CO2 can be used as a renewable energy storage, which helps in controlling climate change. PTTEP is also considering research for a wind turbine concept appropriate for Thailand as the source of green hydrogen needed for the methanation reaction. Original Source: Bangkok Post, 4 Mar 2014, (Website: http://www.bangkokpost.com) © The Post Publishing PCL 2014
Patent picks: from cellulosic ethanol to butanol In a world patent application (WO 20120004572), BP Biofuels described how ruthenium phosphine catalysts can convert ethanol to butanol. The process will produce a butanol product that is not toxic to microbes producing the fuel alternative. The patent also describes that the ethanol
MAY 2014