Market Study for the Production of Second Generation Bioliquids

The UK has obligations to meet biofuel targets and also intentions to improve energy security. Whilst there are numerous alternative ways to reduce carbon emissions in power and heat, the options for transportation are severely limited. Producing biofuels from domestic bio-waste is therefore attractive. The UK, whilst it has lagged in the primary biomass thermo-chemical conversion technologies themselves, has extensive process skills and expertise in catalytic upgrading of syngas, particularly in the Tees Valley. The UK is also a leader in separating and recovering the biogenic component of municipal, commercial and industrial waste. Developing projects that use domestic waste-biomass to produce transportation fuels is therefore in the UK's, and the Government's, interests.

There is potential to produce bio-methanol in the UK from both domestic waste biomass and imported wood. Using domestic waste biomass and an existing facility to deliver a large contribution to the UK's biofuels obligation is an attractive proposition. Producing ~ 375k tonnes of bio-methanol per annum would deliver over 400k tpa reduction in GHG emissions based on default values in the RED.

The Tees Valley in particular provides numerous advantages for bio-methanol production including extensive suitable industrial land, supportive planning environment, skilled workforce, synergistic processes and utilities (e.g. gas and product networks), good logistics and communications by rail, road and air.

There are also both existing process plant (e.g. gas separation and methanol synthesis plant) plus plans for carbon sequestration infrastructure.