Transport Fuel: Biomass-, Coal-, Gas- and Waste-to-Liquids Processes

Processes for the production of transport fuels (gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel) from biomass, coal, natural gas and organic waste are described. Direct liquefaction processes reduce the complexity of the raw material to produce synthetic oil. In doing so, some of the identity and impurities of the raw material are retained. Indirect liquefaction processes convert the raw material into synthesis gas. Impurities are removed from the gas and all identity of the raw material feed is lost. The clean synthesis gas is then converted into a synthetic liquid by Fischer–Tropsch or methanol synthesis. Irrespective of how the synthetic liquid product is produced, it must be refined in order to produce transport fuels. The refining of the different synthetic liquids to produce on-specification ‘drop-in’ transport fuels is discussed. The technical challenges are pointed out and illustrated with examples of synthetic fuels in relation to fuel specifications. An assessment is also made of the future of synthetic fuel facilities for the production of transport fuels.

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