Sustainable gas can be obtained from waste
2 October 2009
According to Dutch researcher Guus van Rossum energy can be obtained from biomass more quickly and efficiently than is currently the case. He has developed a new method for the low-temperature extraction of hydrogen from biomass, such as forestry and agricultural waste. Up until now only fuel gas could be extracted. The hydrogen produced by Van Rossum can be used in far more ways.
Biomass is a sustainable source of energy and therefore provides many possibilities for the future. It can, for example, be used for the production of transport fuels, chemicals and the generation of electricity. However, the pyrolysis oil extracted from biomass is not suitable for existing production lines in the petrochemcial industry. Van Rossum has now developed a process to produce an easy to use gas from this oil.
Catalytic conversion of pyrolysis oil
In this process the pyrolysis oil is transported over a catalytic bed and steam is added that reacts with the oil. During this so-called steam reforming process, carbon monoxide and hydrogen are formed. Subsequently, hydrogen, diesel or methanol can be obtained from this mixture, which can also be used for the generation of heat and electricity.
Van Rossum developed his idea in cooperation with Roel Westerhof. They propose the local processing of biowaste, such as the remains of wood production, sugar cane or rice plants, into oil that is then transported to a central factory for further processing.
In may 2009, Van Rossum received the Leo Petrus Innovation Trophy, the annual innovation prize of the B-Basic programme. This programme funds research into the bio-based and sustainable industrial chemistry of the future. B-Basic is part of the NWO taskforce ACTS, which facilitates public-private partnerships in sustainable chemistry research.
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For further information please contact:
- Guus van Rossum (University of Twente)
- t.: +31 53 489 3902, G.vanRossum@tnw.utwente.nl
- The doctoral thesis was defended on 2 October 2009.
- Supervisor: Prof. W.P.M. van Swaaij
