On the 5th International DME Conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA the standardization of DME as a fuel was discussed. Efforts to finalize an ISO standard are now in its final stages. ETC participates in this effort by funding from the Swedish Energy Agency, for example via Round Robin tests and expert inputs at international meetings on DME test (analysis) methods. Olov Öhrman at ETC participated in a panel discussion / workshop in the DME 5 conference and talked about the experiences developed around quality in the recently completed BioDME project.

En passande beskrivning av tjänsten är “Nyfiken och kreativ mångsysslare som gillar utmaningar”.
I jobbet kommer man att fungera som utförare och controller i administrativ verksamhet vid ETC, inklusive projektadministration, och rapporterar till VD. Se mer detaljer under Kontakt > Lediga tjänster.

In the scientific journal “Energy & Fuels” a recent article by graduate student Fredrik Weiland as lead author describes the first results and experiences from the pressurized entrained flow biomass gasifier (PEBG). The focus in the study was to evaluate the performance of the gasifier for synthesis gas quality and mass and energy balances.

Dr. Henrik Wiinikka led a study in which emissions of heavy metals from small-scale combustion of different biofuels was studied. The study may be of great importance since new stricter rules on emissions of heavy metals from combustion of biomass may be introduced. Also this work was recently published in “Energy & Fuels”.

Dr. Per Carlsson has studied high-speed photography of biomass heated quickly using a laser. The results from the study are important for the fundamental understanding of pyrolysis, combustion and gasification of biomass. The study is published in the scientific journal “Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis”.

Other publications of the ETC since 2009 are compiled under “Publications”.

During the first half of 2013, Luleå University of Technology (LTU) will form the basis for a long-term research initiative around renewable transportation fuels at ETC and Solander Science Park in Piteå. The research will be based on the competence and industrial research infrastructure that is already available in place today. The plan is to start up and perform an extensive research programme i close colaboration with the industry during the next five years to come. LTU will soon (after january 15) call for a press meeting where there will be more information presented. Find out more details on the LTU web site.

The Swedish Energy agency has granted ETC 5 MSEK in order to carry out the project “Cyclone based production of pyrolysis oil – Fundamental understanding of the dependence of raw material and process conditions” during the following 2.5 years. The objective with the project is to perform fundamental characterisation of a new process for production of pyrolysis oil for different types of biomass. Compared to conventional technology that use hot sand in the process (i.e. fluidised bed or rotary cone), the prodcution of the pyrolysis oil will be done in an externally heated cyclone reactor. The main question is how the raw material and process conditions affects the added value products, i.e. pyroysis oil and char.
- In the first part of the project the goal is prove that the process has advantages compared to other more commercial mature process by producing a bio-oil with very low amounts of particulate matter and metals, says Henrik Wiinikka, R&D Manager at ETC.

In the frame of the SUPRABIO project, ETC (Sweden) and BTG (Netherlands) have carried out successful experiments with entrained flow gasification of pyrolysis oil. The pyrolysis oil was made from pine wood in the pilot plant at BTG in Enschede, the Netherlands, and shipped along with a dedicated fuel pump skid to Sweden. Using the pump skid, the pyrolysis oil was then gasified in the pressurised entrained flow biomass gasifier (PEBG) at the ETC research facilities in Piteå, Sweden.

The experimental campaign was carried out by a team of biomass pyrolysis experts from BTG, led by Daan Assink, and gasification experts from ETC, led by Henry Hedman. About 7 hours of pyrolysis oil gasification was carried out in the PEBG plant at a fuel feeding rate of 60 kg/hr, 3 bar absolute pressure and oxygen enriched conditions (70 wt% Oxygen). Detailed test results will become available in the coming months.

In 2013, ETC’s gasification train will be expanded to include a newly developed synthesis reactor. Once the full gasification train is operational, a second test campaign will be conducted, demonstrating at a single site the whole chain from pyrolysis oil feedstock to synthetic biomass-based end-products like Methanol, Fischer-Tropsch diesel or Dimethylether (DME), made via medium scale economic processing utilising intensified catalytic reactors developed jointly by Brunel University, London and IMM in Germany.

The SUPRABIO project (in full: Sustainable products from economic processing of biomass in highly integrated biorefineries) is a large-scale collaborative research project involving 16 European organisations. The overall objective of SUPRABIO is the research, development and demonstration of novel intensified unit operations that can be integrated into economic and sustainable biorefinery options for the production of second-generation biofuels, intermediates and high value products, together with assessment of the outcomes to inform and enable sustainable implementation. SUPRABIO is financially supported by the European Commission through the 7th Framework Programme (Grant FP7-241640, www.suprabio.eu).

ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CENTRE (www.etcpitea.se/en/)
As a not-for-profit research institute located in Piteå, north of Sweden, ETC focus on combustion, gasification and biorefinery processes in collaboration with industrial companies, public agencies and academic institutions. ETC has a highly competent staff, practical skills and unique infrastructure with the vision to provide sustainable energy solution for the future. Besides SUPRABIO, ETC is involved in several pilot scale gasification projects and the FP7 project named BioDME (Production of DME from biomass and utilisation as fuel for transport and for industrial use).

BTG BIOMASS TECHNOLOGY GROUP BV (www.btgworld.com)
BTG is a private firm which for the past 30 years has specialised in the conversion of biomass into biofuels and bio-energy. BTG’s two business units, Consultancy and RTD, work in synergy and ensure innovative and commercially feasible activities. Daughter company Bioheat International BV is active in CO2 emission trading through JI and CDM. BTG started its RTD developments in the 1990’s with the development of its own thermochemical processes. In its dedicated research lab several test facilities are available. BTG fast pyrolysis developments have resulted in several patents, which are now commercially exploited by its daughter company BTG-BTL. BTG has an extensive experience and is deeply involved in European bio-energy R&D programmes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

On June 13 Energiutvecklingsnämnden (EUN) approved the projectet “PEBG Characterisation” where ETC is the main applicant. In totalt, the project budget for 3 years is 27,8 million SEK, including co-founding. The project actors are ETC, IVAB and LTU, and the co-founders are Energimyndigheten, Sveaskog and Smurfit Kappa.

After 12 years as Managing Director at ETC, Rikard Gebart now leaves the command to Magnus Marklund and returns to LTU as coordinator för the Swedish Gasification Centre. Magnus has work with research and development at ETC since 2001, which has rendered in a Ph.D. from LTU and the ETC we see today.

- I feel very proud and motivated by the trust I have been given to take command as Managing Director. ETC has during the last years had a great development in the experimental infrastructure, interesting research, and industrial collaborations. It will be an exciting and challenging mission to lead the gathered competence among the personnel and further develop the ETC activities, says Magnus.

The Contact information to Magnus is the same as earlier:

Energy Technology Centre

Box 726, 941 28 Piteå, Sweden

Office: +46-911-23 23 85

Mobile: +46-70-227 23 85

Fax: +46-911-23 23 99

Email: magnus.marklund@etcpitea.se

Haldor Topsoe has produced a video about DME as a fuel. It is available on youtube and on the BioDME project webpage.

The BLG II research program on black liquor gasification has been carried out during 2007 – June 2010. The results have been summarised in an english popular science report.

This week, a new analytical instruments was installed at ETC. It is an analytical instrument used to analyze the total sulfur at extremely low concentrations (down to ppb levels). The instrument is based on the Oxidative Ultraviolet Fluorescence method from Mitsubishi (TS-2100V). -We have invested in the instrument with support from the Kempe Foundations and the instrument will initially be used in quality control for BioDME, says Research Engineer Marcus Gullberg. The analyzer can be used to analyze the total sulfur in both liquids and gases, so there is a wide area of ​​use for the analysis of such gasoline, diesel, DME, LPG ​​and other potential products from a biorefinery.

With our newly expanded computational capacity we offer problem solving consultancy by our competent CFD-specialist at a reduced cost. 20% off the total cost for CFD projects orded between June – September 2011. Do not hesitate to contact our representatives below to discuss your needs of problemsolving.

Contacts:

Magnus Marklund, Responsible for CFD-consultancy

+46911-23 23 85, +4670-227 23 85               magnus.marklund@etcpitea.se

Stefan Westerlund, CFD-specialist

+46911-23 20 08, +4670- 204 67 45             stefan.westerlund@etcpitea.se 

Also, look further at our website: http://www.etcpitea.se/tjanster/tekniska-berakningar

Today Dr. Per Carlsson, ETC, successfully defended his thesis “Large Scale Experiments and Modeling of Black Liquor Gasification”. We at ETC will therefore like to congratulate Dr. Per Carlsson and we wish him good luck in the future.

ETC is one of the participants in a new research center named Swedish Gasification Centre (SFC) headed by ETC’s CEO Rikard Gebart in his role as adjunct professor at the Luleå University of Technology. The focus is to conduct research on biomass gasification which is a key technology for the production of “green” fuels from biomass. SFC is a center where a number of academic stakeholders interact with industry and has a total budget of  540 million for 10 years.

- By several academies involved with their special fields of research and research training the center covers a wide range of skills for development from biomass future energy and green fuels using various types of gasification technologies, “said Rikard Gebart, coordinator of the SFC and Adjunct Professor at Luleå University of Technology .
The academic cooperation in the SFC, three different gasification technologies are studied, where LTU / ETC and Umeå University stands for one part, KTH and Chalmers stands for the other two. The common goal for all three is to extract energy and fuels from biomass. The research program’s first phase includes two years with a budget of over 58 million of which over 19 million is allocated by the Energy Agency with the rest from academia and industry. A 1/9-part of the funding comes from the strategic research project Bio4Energy.

The main goal of the research in the SFC is to phase out fossil fuels and thus reduce the climate impact by drastically reducing emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Energy Agency’s funding decisions is based on this case and shows that the research that LTU has built up in close cooperation with ETC and others in Piteå is highly valued.

- I take it as a proof that we for many years conducted extensive research in this area, which received both national and international attention and that we now stand ready in the SFC with a strong research team, says Rick Gebart.

Through the research in the SFC Swedish industry is supported in its pursuit of full-scale plants including environmentally friendly fuels. Sweden is also increasing their research skills in an environmentally critical area of ​​international recognition of the SFC in sight.

Per Carlsson’s dissertation is a milestone for ETC and an important part of the development of black liquor gasification. The thesis is titled:

Large Scale Experiments and Modeling of Black Liquor Gasification

ETC wish to thank all our partners and customers for good collaborations during 2010 and a Happy New 2011. This year ETC:s Christmas card budget goes to “Läkare utan gränser” (Medecins Sans Frontieres).

On Wednesday November 17th the IVAB gasifier at ETC in Piteå was innagurated. About 70 participants listened to Thomas Kåberger, general director of the Swedish energy agency, when he formally pushed the start button that marked a historic step towards a sustainable and fossil free energy system. The innaguration was part in the annually Solander Symposium arranged in conjunction with ‘Week 46’ in Piteå. The project focuses on verifying a concept that uses the shortest way of conversion from forestry residues to valuable synthesis gas (syngas), which can further be processed to e.g. methanol or BioDME.

On tuesday September 7, Preem’s BioDME filling station was inaugurated in Kungens Kurva, Stockholm. Two days later on September 9 the BioDME plant in Piteå was inaugurated. The BioDME plant has been built by Chemrec and will produce 4 tons of BioDME per day. The BioDME will be produced via black liquor gasification (black liquor is a by-product in the pulp mill). Volvo will test 10 different BioDME trucks in a field test. The BioDME will be transported to 4 filling stations in Sweden; Piteå , Stockholm, Jönköping and Gothenburg. Read more on the project web page www.biodme.eu.

The BLG II research program on black liquor gasification has been carried out during 2007 – June 2010. The results have been summarised in a popularised report that can be downloaded. The current report is in Swedish but an English report will soon be available.

Solander Sciene Park has demonstrated the first car powered by methanol produced via black liquor gasification at the Nolia Event in Piteå. The methanol was produced at ETC in cooperation between Chemrec and LTU. It was also noticed by the local newspaper.

Welcome to our up-dated website. Here you will of course find everything that was found on our previous site, but there will be more to come shortly. Easy up-date is one of the main advantages with our new site, which you hopefully will notice in the future.

The Swedish government, founding authorities and industry invest in research concerning black liquor. It is about a technology based on gasification that will recover chemicals and energy from this by-product within the pulping industry. A national research and development program have been conducted via collaboration with universities, companies and authorities.

We all at ETC would like to wish our customers, partners, sponsors, suppliers and other friends a really nice summer!