BIOENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE

A wide variety of non-food biomass grown across the country can be converted into advanced hydrocarbon fuels using thermochemical
processes. Photos (clockwise from upper left): iStock/3786400, Scott Butner/PNNL, iStock/6090867, Calvin Feik/NREL/16029

Working with industry, academia, and the national laboratories,

Thermochemical Conversion: BETO has identified critical R&D barriers for specific conver-
Using Heat and Catalysis to Make sion pathways. Research is needed to lower the cost, increase
the efficiency, and reduce the environmental impacts of thermo-
Biofuels and Bioproducts chemical conversion. R&D efforts are addressing these technical
challenges with the goal of achieving a cost-competitive fuel
The Bioenergy Technologies Ofce works with industry and price of $3 per gallon (gasoline equivalent) by 2017.
other partners to develop economical pathways that use
heat, pressure, and catalysis to convert domestic, non-food
biomass into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other products. Exploring Promising Technology
Advanced biofuels are part of Americas all-of-the-above Pathways
energy strategy to develop domestic energy resources and win
BETO uses techno-economic modeling and engages key
the global race for clean energy technology. Developing a
stakeholders to identify pathways that offer the greatest
sustainable, commercial-scale U.S. bioindustry will stimulate
promise to make hydrocarbon biofuels cost competitive
the economy, create new jobs, and substantially decrease net
in the market.
greenhouse gas emissions on a life-cycle basis.1
Please visit BETOs Technology Pathways Web page to
The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) supports research
access the pathways characterized to date:
and development (R&D) of technologies to efficiently convert
algae and diverse types of cellulosic biomass (fibrous, inedible bioenergy.energy.gov/technology_pathways.html
portion of plants) into renewable fuels that are compatible with
todays vehicles and infrastructure. Thermochemical conver-
sion processes apply heat, pressure, and catalysts to convert a
broad range of biomass into renewable gasoline, diesel, jet fuels,
chemicals, and heat and power.

1 Impacts on emissions depend upon the type of biomass used, cultivation practices,
and processing.
2 BIOENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE

Thermochemical Gaseous Intermediate Technology

Conversion Gaseous intermediates are produced by
The elevated temperatures of thermo- heating the biomass with less oxygen
chemical conversion (300C to 1,000C) than is required for complete combustion.
expand the range of biomass feedstocks This approach may involve subjecting the
that can be used by the bioindustry. The biomass to high temperatures to produce
ability to use a broad range of feedstocks a mixture of gases (gasification). These
(see back page) helps to ensure an gases can then be converted to fuels
adequate biomass supply across seasons and chemicals using catalysts or other
and spreads the economic and energy biological processes.
security benefits across regions. BETO is exploring the pathway for
Despite these advantages to using diverse upgrading one of these gaseous mixtures,
feedstocks, researchers recognize that known as synthesis gas (or syngas), to
conversion technologies and supporting methanol. This pathway leverages ongoing
processes are sensitive to variations work in gasification and syngas cleanup
in feedstock characteristics (moisture and offers opportunities to both improve
content, contaminants, etc.). BETO catalyst performance (enabling higher
works with industry and other partners yields) and intensify processing steps
to explore ways to pretreat and blend (enabling their use in smaller facilities). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
has developed a multi-stage
various types of biomass into uniform R&D Challenges for Gaseous hydrotreating process that can stabilize
formats with consistent properties. The Intermediates the biocrude or produce a finished
aim is to create commodities with pre- hydrocarbon blend stock tailored for
Demonstrate reliable reactor operation end use or for input to a refinery.
dictable properties that meet established
Photo: PNNL
criteria for efficient conversion. Refine efficient gas-cleaning
technologies
Thermochemical conversion involves a finished fuel. Alternatively, the bio-oil
deconstructing biomass and upgrading Develop improved catalysts for liquid may be upgraded to an intermediate prod-
the resulting intermediates into a range fuel production. uct for further processing in a traditional
of fuels and other products. Research in petroleum refinery. BETO research on
thermochemical conversion focuses on Bio-Oil Intermediate Technology bio-oil intermediates currently focuses on
the production of either gaseous interme- Biomass can be heated in the absence five pathways (three pyrolysis and two
diates or liquid bio-oil intermediates and of oxygen to ultimately produce a liquid liquefaction processes):
their subsequent upgrading into fuels and intermediate or bio-oil. The biomass
other products. Fast pyrolysis
first undergoes either a pyrolysis or
liquefaction process to produce a vapor Catalytic fast pyrolysis (ex-situ and
mixture, liquids, and solids. Condensing in-situ)
the vapor mixture yields a liquid with
bio-oil and aqueous layers (as oil and Hydropyrolysis
water do not mix). The bio-oil can be
put through hydroprocessing, separation, Hydrothermal liquefaction
and fractionation steps to upgrade it into Solvent liquefaction.

R&D projects are improving thermochemical conversion routes for cellulosic and algal biomass.
BIOENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE 3

R&D Challenges for Bio-Oil Integration in Traditional

Intermediates
Refineries
Develop better catalysts or processes
Successfully integrating biomass
for removing oxygen and other
product streams for further processing
impurities
in traditional petroleum refineries would
Improve processes for stabilizing provide refineries with a secure, domestic
bio-oils feedstock. Researchers are investigating
compatibility criteria for crude bio-oils,
Improve catalysts for upgrading bio- biofuel intermediates, and finished
oils into finished fuels. hydrocarbon biofuels at various insertion
points. The goal is to produce biomass-
based feeds that are identical (at the
Pathway to Diverse molecular level) to products now found BETO research is helping to define
Biofuels and Benefits in the traditional petroleum refining feedstock criteria and blending
Thermochemical processing provides an product chain. formulas that will enable reliable
opportunity to produce advanced biofuels thermochemical processing.
For successful integration, the biomass
that deliver diverse benefits to the nation. Photo: Art Wiselogel/NREL/04195
feed streams must be able to meet rigor-
These benefits vary by process and end
ous criteria. More specifically, they will
product, providing flexibility in meeting
need to be low in oxygen, blend well with
market needs. Benefits include:
petroleum, and be free of contaminants
Climate Change: On a life-cycle basis, that could poison the refinery catalysts or
advanced biofuels produced via ther- degrade the product.
mochemical conversion could reduce
One challenge to the successful use of
greenhouse gases by 50% or more,
bioproducts in traditional refineries is the
relative to conventional gasoline.
need to track Renewable Identification
Infrastructure Compatibility: Numbers (RINs). These are the serial
Although bio-oils can be corrosive numbers assigned to batches of biofuel,
prior to upgrading, the resulting as required by the Environmental
advanced biofuels are generally com- Protection Agency. Companies that
refine, import, or blend fossil fuels are BETO is working to better understand
patible with the existing fuel delivery
periodically required to submit a number the physical properties, reactivities,
infrastructure (pipelines, tanks, pumps,
of RINs as evidence that they are doing and compatibilities of biofuel
blending facilities, vehicles, etc.).
their part in meeting national biofuels intermediates for finishing in
Energy Security: Domestic biofuels production targets. A system is needed traditional petroleum refineries.
diversify the energy portfolio and Photo: David Parsons/NREL/05049
for reliability tracking RINs when inter-
decrease U.S. dependence on foreign mediate products are transferred between
sources of energy. Biorefineries may biorefineries and traditional refineries.
potentially serve as regionally inde-
pendent energy facilities, improving
energy security and resilience.

Researchers are defining criteria for the insertion of biorefinery intermediates into traditional refineries.
4 BIOENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE

Blending of Biomass into Uniform Feedstocks

Blending a broad spectrum of feedstocks into a consistent format that meets rigorous specifications is expected to increase the avail-
able feedstock supply, reduce feedstock costs, and facilitate efficient thermochemical conversion. For more information on biomass
pretreatment and blending into commodity feedstocks for processing into biofuels, please see our brochure on Feedstock Supply and
Logistics.

Short-rotation Herbaceous crops:

woody crops: These crops typically include
These biomass crops consist of perennial grasses (such as
fast-growing tree species, which switchgrass, which is native
are often harvested within 3 to 10 to many regions across North
years of planting. America).

Agricultural residues: Municipal urban

Waste products from agricultural residues:
activities (e.g., plant parts left Clean waste from residential,
in the field after harvest) and commercial, and industrial
secondary residues, such as activities are included (e.g., grass
manure and food processing clippings, unusable pallets, and
wastes, can be useful feedstocks. municipal sorted waste).

Forestry residues: Oils:

This category includes logging This category includes algae, bio-
residues from conventional oils (for conversion to biodiesel
harvest operations, forest or for hydrotreating into green
management, and land clearing; diesel), vegetable oil (e.g., from
secondary residues include mill soybeans), used fryer oil, and
wastes. tallow (animal fats).

Photos: (left column-top to bottom) USDA/d1253-1, INL, NREL/04190

(right column-top to bottom) USDA/k11202-1, NREL/00081, Vorticom

Learn More

bioenergy.energy.gov

For more information, visit:

bioenergy.energy.gov

DOE/EE-0949 July 2013

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