World’s first commercial scale municipal waste-based biofuel plant project reaches FEED phase – Sumitomo SHI FW to supply fluidized-bed gasifier
Sumitomo SHI FW (SFW) has been selected as the preferred gasifier supplier to Protos Biofuels Ltd (Protos), a project developed by Advanced Biofuel Solutions Ltd (ABSL) and Greenergy. Protos announced that its first municipal waste advanced biofuels project has progressed into the front-end engineering design (FEED) phase.
Petrofac has been appointed to deliver the FEED with SFW to supply the fluidized-bed gasifier that converts the household waste into synthesis gas (syngas) as part of ABSL’s RadGas process in which the syngas is cleaned in a direct current plasma arc furnace. The clean syngas is then converted into biomethane and biohydrogen.
The commercial scale Protos plant will incorporate ABSL’s RadGas process technology and be the first to produce grid-grade biomethane and biohydrogen from municipal waste. Located on the Protos site in the North West of England, the project site is part of HyNet North West, one of the UK’s leading industrial decarbonization projects.
Due for completion in 2025, the project will divert 150,000 tonnes of household waste annually, the amount produced by a large town, from landfill and incineration, converting it into renewable low-carbon fuel. By using waste as a feedstock, the plant will avoid 160,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year, equivalent to the emissions of 107,000 cars, through the replacement of fossil fuel with waste-based fuel alternatives and the capture of carbon dioxide.
Martin Hopkins, Project Director for Protos Biofuels, said: "We are delighted to bring the world’s first commercial scale municipal waste-based biofuel plant to FEED stage. Through Petrofac and SFW, we are bringing together world class partners to develop a world leading project to decarbonise transport. When complete, the plant will play an essential role in delivering the UK’s net zero and energy security strategies.”
“This award is evidence of our extensive experience and expertise with fluidized bed gasification of biomass and waste streams built up over more than forty years. Waste to value offering is a core part of our strategy to provide innovative solutions that support our partners in decarbonizing energy generation and energy intensive industries, as well as the production of synthetic fuels and raw materials used in these industries. We are therefore very excited to be part of this milestone project and look forward to working with Petrofac, ABSL and Greenergy to make it a success”, said Frank Ligthart, Vice President Strategic Business Development, Waste to Value, SFW.
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