U.S. patent application number 13/721157 was filed with the patent office on 2013-06-27 for method for producing renewable fuels.
This patent application is currently assigned to IOGEN BIO-PRODUCTS CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is Iogen Bio-Products Corporation. Invention is credited to Brian Foody.
Application Number | 20130164806 13/721157 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48653504 |
Filed Date | 2013-06-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130164806 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Foody; Brian |
June 27, 2013 |
METHOD FOR PRODUCING RENEWABLE FUELS
Abstract
According to the present invention, organic material is
converted to biogas through anaerobic digestion and the biogas is
purified to yield a combustible fluid feedstock comprising methane.
A fuel production facility utilizes or arranges to utilize
combustible fluid feedstock to generate renewable hydrogen that is
used to hydrogenate crude oil derived hydrocarbons in a process to
make liquid transportation or heating fuel. The renewable hydrogen
is combined with crude oil derived hydrocarbons that have been
desulfurized under conditions to hydrogenate the hydrocarbons with
the renewable hydrogen.
Inventors: |
Foody; Brian; (Ottawa,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Iogen Bio-Products Corporation; |
Ottawa |
|
CA |
|
|
Assignee: |
IOGEN BIO-PRODUCTS
CORPORATION
Ottawa
CA
|
Family ID: |
48653504 |
Appl. No.: |
13/721157 |
Filed: |
December 20, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61579517 |
Dec 22, 2011 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
435/166 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/018 20130101;
C10G 65/12 20130101; C01B 3/36 20130101; Y02P 30/00 20151101; Y02E
50/30 20130101; Y02P 80/20 20151101; C10L 3/08 20130101; C01B
2203/0216 20130101; C10G 47/00 20130101; C10G 2400/02 20130101;
C10G 2400/08 20130101; Y02P 20/133 20151101; C10G 65/02 20130101;
Y02P 30/20 20151101; C10G 45/02 20130101; C10G 2400/04 20130101;
C10L 2290/26 20130101; Y02E 50/343 20130101; C01B 2203/0222
20130101; Y02E 50/13 20130101; C12P 5/02 20130101; Y02P 80/21
20151101; C07C 5/02 20130101; C01B 2203/0211 20130101; C01B
2203/065 20130101; Y02E 50/10 20130101; C01B 2203/1241 20130101;
C12P 5/023 20130101; C10L 1/04 20130101; C01B 3/34 20130101; C12P
5/00 20130101; C10G 45/44 20130101; C10L 3/10 20130101; C10L 3/101
20130101; Y02P 30/10 20151101; C10L 2200/0469 20130101; G06Q 50/06
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
435/166 |
International
Class: |
C07C 5/02 20060101
C07C005/02 |
Claims
1. A method of transforming waste organic material to produce a
liquid transportation or heating fuel comprising: (a) subjecting
waste organic material to anaerobic digestion by microorganisms in
a biogas production facility that incorporates apparatus to collect
the microbially generated biogas; (b) collecting an amount of crude
biogas from the biogas production facility; (c) removing impurities
from the crude biogas to yield a combustible fluid feedstock; (d)
introducing a first amount of combustible fluid feedstock from step
(b) or (c) to apparatus for delivering a combustible fluid
feedstock to a fuel production facility; (e) withdrawing for use at
a fuel production facility a second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock approximately equal to the first amount of combustible
fluid feedstock; (f) processing at the fuel production facility the
second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to produce renewable
hydrogen; and (g) producing a third amount of liquid transportation
or heating fuel by a process that comprises combining renewable
hydrogen derived from the second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock with a desulfurized, crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon
in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon
with the renewable hydrogen.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the biogas production facility is
a landfill, a sewage treatment facility or a manure digestion
facility.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactor is a hydrogenation
reactor.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactor is a
hydrocracker.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid transportation or
heating fuel is selected from gasoline, diesel, heating oil and jet
fuel.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein a liquid transportation fuel is
produced in step (g).
7. The method of claim 1, wherein a renewable fuel credit is
associated with said first or second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock, the renewable hydrogen, the liquid transportation or
heating fuel, or a combination thereof
8. The method of claim 7, wherein a renewable fuel credit is
associated with said liquid transportation or heating fuel.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid transportation or
heating fuel is renewable or partially renewable.
10. A method of producing a transportation or heating fuel
comprising: (a) causing a first amount of combustible fluid
feedstock to be introduced to apparatus for delivering a
combustible fluid feedstock to a fuel production facility, said
first amount of combustible fluid feedstock being derived from a
crude biogas that was generated by anaerobic digestion of waste
organic material and from which impurities were removed following
collection from a biogas production facility; (b) withdrawing for
use at a fuel production facility, a second amount of combustible
fluid feedstock approximately equal to the first amount of
combustible fluid feedstock; (c) processing at the fuel production
facility the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to
produce renewable hydrogen; and (d) producing a third amount of
liquid transportation or heating fuel by a process that comprises
combining renewable hydrogen derived from the second amount of
combustible fluid feedstock with a desulfurized, crude oil derived
liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the
liquid hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the biogas production facility
is a landfill, a waste treatment facility or a manure digestion
facility.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the reactor is a hydrogenation
reactor.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the reactor is a hydro
cracker.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the liquid transportation or
heating fuel is selected from gasoline, diesel, heating oil and jet
fuel.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein a liquid transportation fuel is
produced in step (d).
16. The method of claim 10, wherein a renewable fuel credit is
associated with said first or second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock, the renewable hydrogen, the liquid transportation or
heating fuel, or a combination thereof.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein a renewable fuel credit is
associated with said liquid transportation or heating fuel.
18. The method of claim 10, wherein the liquid transportation or
heating fuel is renewable or partially renewable.
19. A method of producing a combustible fluid feedstock for use in
producing a transportation or heating fuel, said method comprising:
(a) subjecting waste organic material to anaerobic digestion by
microorganisms in a biogas production facility that incorporates
apparatus to collect the microbially generated biogas; (b)
collecting an amount of crude biogas from the biogas production
facility; (c) removing impurities from the crude biogas to yield a
combustible fluid feedstock; (d) introducing a first amount of
combustible fluid feedstock from step (b) or (c) to apparatus for
delivering a combustible fluid feedstock to fuel production
facility; and (e) causing a fuel production facility to use
combustible fluid feedstock in a process for producing
transportation or heating fuel, said process comprising: (i)
withdrawing for use at a fuel production facility a second amount
of combustible fluid feedstock from the apparatus approximately
equal to the first amount of combustible fluid feedstock; (ii)
processing the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to
produce renewable hydrogen; and (iii) combining renewable hydrogen
derived from the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock with
a desulfurized, crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor
under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the
renewable hydrogen.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the biogas production facility
is a landfill, a waste treatment facility or a manure digestion
facility.
21. The method of claim 19, wherein the reactor is a hydrogenation
reactor.
22. The method of claim 19, wherein the reactor is a
hydrocracker.
23. The method of claim 19, wherein the transportation or heating
fuel is selected from gasoline, diesel, heating oil and jet
fuel.
24. The method of claim 19, wherein in step (e) the fuel production
facility is a transportation fuel production facility and wherein
the combustible fluid feedstock is for use in the production of a
transportation fuel.
25. The method of claim 19, wherein a renewable fuel credit is
associated with said first or second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock, the renewable hydrogen, the liquid transportation or
heating fuel, or a combination thereof.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein a renewable fuel credit is
associated with said liquid transportation or heating fuel.
27. The method of claim 19, wherein the liquid transportation or
heating fuel is renewable or partially renewable.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for transforming
waste organic material to produce a liquid transportation or
heating fuel.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A majority of the energy used to provide fuels today is
derived from fossil fuels, despite much effort and research on
various alternative energy or non-fossil fuel options. The
utilization of renewable biomass to produce fuel has been promoted
by various governments, including the United States government
through the Energy Independence and Security Act ("EISA") of 2007.
Some of the purposes of the act are to increase the production of
clean renewable fuels, to promote research on and deploy greenhouse
gas ("GHG") capture and to reduce fossil fuels present in fuels.
Notably, the act sets out a Renewable Fuels Standard ("RFS") with
increasing annual targets for the renewable content of fuel sold or
introduced into commerce in the United States.
[0003] The mandated annual targets of renewable content in fuel are
implemented through an RFS that uses tradable credits (called
Renewable Identification Numbers, referred to herein as "RINs") to
track and manage the production, distribution and use of renewable
fuels for transportation or other purposes. RINs can be likened to
a currency used by obligated parties to certify compliance with
mandated renewable fuel volumes. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency ("EPA") is responsible for overseeing and enforcing blending
mandates and developing regulations for the generation, trading and
retirement of RINs.
[0004] Many approaches have been developed to use renewable biomass
to produce transportation fuel or biofuels. Commercial biofuel
production from carbohydrates currently employs starch or sugar
cane as the feedstock. Production of ethanol from corn starch is
widespread and ethanol from this source is considered a renewable
fuel, and a first generation biofuel. It is often blended with
gasoline, for example at levels of approximately 10% and the
resulting blended gasoline can be considered to be a partially
renewable transportation fuel. A given volume of such ethanol can
have a RIN associated with it. This RIN is transferable to buyers
of the ethanol or to producers of finished transportation fuel who
use the ethanol to manufacture their finished transportation
fuel.
[0005] However, starch and sugar cane are in high market demand as
a food source for humans and animals, put upward pressure on food
costs and thus are expensive and undesirable feedstocks for biofuel
production. By contrast, agricultural residues and other non-food
waste are inexpensive due to their wide availability and limited
market value, and do not put pressure on food costs. Consequently,
non-food feedstocks offer an attractive alternative to the starch
and sugar cane feedstocks used to date as a source for biofuel
production.
[0006] One of the leading approaches to producing liquid fuel from
renewable feedstock involves the conversion of cellulosic biomass,
a non-food source, to simple alcohols, such as ethanol, butanol and
methanol. These alcohols can be used in a mixture with gasoline, or
in their pure form, as liquid transportation fuel. Much attention
and effort has been applied in recent years to the production of
such liquid fuels from cellulosic biomass.
[0007] Cellulosic ethanol, in particular, has been the subject of
significant research efforts. One of the leading technologies for
producing ethanol from cellulosic biomass involves subjecting
agricultural waste or other feedstocks containing cellulose to a
series of chemical and biological treatments to produce glucose,
which is then fermented to produce the ethanol. In particular, the
process includes a chemical and/or heat pretreatment to improve the
accessibility of the cellulose contained in the feedstock. This is
followed by an enzymatic hydrolysis with cellulase enzymes to
convert the cellulose to glucose. The glucose is fermented to
ethanol by microorganisms, optionally in the presence of other
sugars derived from the feedstock.
[0008] Other research efforts have been devoted to methanol and
isobutanol production. One approach for producing methanol includes
a thermochemical treatment of a feedstock to produce syngas, which
is composed of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The syngas is
subsequently converted into the methanol, or other alcohols, with
the aid of a chemical catalyst. Further research efforts have been
directed to isobutanol production from renewable feedstocks by
fermentation with yeast genetically engineered for such
purpose.
[0009] Research and development efforts have also been directed
towards the production of oils and diesels from renewable biomass.
One technology includes a biomass catalytic cracking process that
employs heat and a catalyst to convert biomass to a renewable crude
oil with a relatively low oxygen content. Further, microorganisms
have been used to ferment feedstock into carboxylic acids, which
are then neutralized to form carboxylate salts. The carboxylate
salts are then dewatered, dried and thermally converted to ketones,
which are subsequently hydrogenated to form alcohols that can be
refined into diesel or other fuels. Furthermore, oil can be
produced from microalgae, which can then be converted to renewable
diesel for ships or jet fuel. Moreover, other groups are
investigating the production of biodiesel by yeast fermentation of
feedstocks to an isoprenoid, which in turn is converted to diesel
by a multi-step finishing process.
[0010] Other research efforts have been directed towards the
production of gaseous hydrogen for direct use as a transportation
fuel, which can be used in an internal combustion engine or a fuel
cell. Such hydrogen can be produced by a variety of techniques.
Some of the processes described in the literature include biomass
pyrolysis or gasification and biological processes, such as
bacterial fermentation and enzymatic hydrogen production.
[0011] At present, however, there is limited technical and economic
infrastructure to support the widespread use of hydrogen directly
as a transportation fuel. Although much effort has been devoted to
using the gas as a transportation fuel, hydrogen is highly volatile
and thus is dangerous to store and transport.
[0012] Yet another approach to generate a gaseous renewable fuel
from waste feedstock includes anaerobic digestion of organic
material derived from plants, vegetation, municipal waste, animal
waste, animal byproducts, manure, sewage sludge, food waste, food
processing waste, agricultural residues including corn stover and
wheat straw and/or other biomass, hereinafter referred to
collectively as "waste organic material". The combustible product
of this digestion is referred to herein as "biogas" which may be
produced by anaerobic digestion of any waste organic material. A
main constituent of biogas is methane, although the gas also
contains carbon dioxide and other components, depending on its
source. The biogas may be produced by decomposing waste organic
material under anaerobic conditions, such as in landfills.
[0013] There are commercial biogas applications that use biogas to
produce electricity. In farming operations, biogas has been used to
fuel engine-generators to produce electricity for on-farm use. In
landfill operations, projects are underway to use biogas for
electricity generation, either for on-site use or to sell to the
grid. Other uses of biogas that have been described include
transmitting biogas via pipeline to be combusted by an end user to
fuel boilers, dryers, kilns, greenhouses, and other thermal
applications (see
http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/documents/pdf/7.4_landfill_metane_ut-
ilization.pdf) Furthermore, in developing countries biogas is used
for cooking.
[0014] The commercialization of processes for using biogas as a
fuel has met limited success despite research and development
efforts in this area. Although conventional gasoline powered
automobiles can be run on biogas, they need to be retrofitted with
compressed natural gas cylinders, which take up significant space
in the trunk of a car or the bed of a pickup truck. To overcome the
storage problems, automobiles need to be specially manufactured to
accommodate the tanks under the body of the vehicle. Moreover,
infrastructure required for biogas refueling is both costly and
complex to implement and the demand for methane-fueled automobiles
is relatively low. Thus, refueling stations are not always
plentiful or conveniently located.
[0015] Although there have been numerous and wide ranging research
efforts devoted to the implementation of renewable fuel production,
the existing technologies for producing transportation or heating
fuels with renewable content have been difficult to commercialize
for various reasons. Despite business and legislative efforts to
promote the production of renewable transportation or heating
fuels, little progress has been made. There is therefore a need for
a process that allows the energy in biomass to be captured and used
in transportation fuel for conventional automobiles. Furthermore,
there is a need to commercialize the use of biomass and other
renewable resources as a source of energy, particularly for
transportation or heating fuel. Technology that produces
transportation or heating fuel from non-food biomass waste in a
cost-effective manner would be desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] It is an object of the invention to provide an improved
method for transforming waste organic material to produce a liquid
transportation fuel.
[0017] The present invention provides a simple and cost effective
method to utilize the energy in waste organic material to increase
the renewable energy content of transportation fuels used
commercially in conventional automobiles. The invention provides a
method for using renewable biomass to replace or reduce the
quantity of fossil derived energy present in transportation and
heating fuels.
[0018] It is a further object of this invention to provide an
improved method for transforming waste organic material to produce
a heating fuel, such as home heating fuel and commercial heating
fuel, heating fuels made from naphtha, liquid petroleum gas,
kerosene, or other heating fuels that can be made in accordance
with the process of the invention.
[0019] The present invention provides a renewable fuel or a fuel
having renewable content that is produced from renewable biomass.
Renewable fuel or fuel having renewable content is produced from a
renewable biomass and is used to replace or reduce the quantity of
fossil fuel present in a transportation fuel or heating fuel. The
replacement or reduction of fossil fuel is based on an aggregate of
fossil fuels on a macro level or it can be based on the actual fuel
produced or both. The fuel may be a partially renewable fuel,
meaning that it is produced by co-processing a feedstock derived
from renewable biomass and non-renewable feedstocks. Preferably,
the fuel is a transportation fuel.
[0020] The fuel produced by the invention, including transportation
and heating fuel, is made by a process that comprises a step of
hydrogenation. According to one aspect of the present invention,
waste organic material is converted to crude biogas through
anaerobic digestion and the biogas is purified to yield a
combustible fluid feedstock comprising predominantly methane; a
fuel production facility utilizes or arranges to utilize
combustible fluid feedstock to generate renewably sourced hydrogen
that is used to hydrogenate crude oil derived hydrocarbons to make
liquid transportation or heating fuel products that contain
renewable content. Preferably, this renewably sourced hydrogen is
combined with crude oil derived hydrocarbons that have been
desulfurized under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon
with the renewable hydrogen or alternatively, the renewably sourced
hydrogen can be added to a reactor operated so as to simultaneously
desulfurize and hydrogenate the hydrocarbons, preferably using
non-renewable hydrogen to desulfurize.
[0021] The invention further provides a means for satisfying
renewable fuel targets or mandates established by governments,
including legislation and regulations for transportation fuel or
heating fuel sold or introduced into commerce in the United States.
The invention also provides a means for satisfying low carbon fuel
standards established by governments including states within the
United States such as California. Transportation or heating fuel
produced by the process of the present invention or intermediates
produced thereunder are believed to be eligible for generation of
RINs or tradable certificates.
[0022] The invention can be considered as a method of producing a
fuel, preferably a liquid transportation fuel, comprising the steps
of (i) producing renewable hydrogen from a combustible fluid
feedstock, preferably a biogas derived combustible fluid feedstock;
(ii) combining the renewable hydrogen with a desulfurized, crude
oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to
hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen;
(iii) producing a fuel that has associated with it lower greenhouse
gas emissions compared to baseline emissions for gasoline,
preferably at least 20% lower than baseline emissions for gasoline,
more preferably at least 30%, 40% 50% lower than baseline emissions
for gasoline; and optionally (iv) receiving a renewable fuel credit
as described herein and known in the art. Alternatively, an amount
of renewable hydrogen can be combined with a crude oil derived
liquid hydrocarbon and an additional effective amount of hydrogen
of sufficient quantity to desulfurize the crude oil derived liquid
hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to simultaneously
desulfurize and hydrogenate the crude oil derived liquid
hydrocarbon, where preferably the amount of hydrogen that becomes
bonded to the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon is greater than
or equal to two thirds of the amount of renewable hydrogen.
[0023] According to a further aspect, the present invention
provides a method of transforming waste organic material to produce
a liquid transportation or heating fuel comprising: (a) subjecting
waste organic material to anaerobic digestion by microorganisms in
a biogas production facility that incorporates apparatus to collect
the microbially generated biogas; (b) collecting an amount of crude
biogas from the biogas production facility; (c) removing impurities
from the crude biogas to yield a combustible fluid feedstock; (d)
introducing a first amount of combustible fluid feedstock from step
(b) or (c) to apparatus for delivering a combustible fluid
feedstock to a fuel production facility; (e) withdrawing for use at
a fuel production facility a second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock approximately equal to the first amount of combustible
fluid feedstock; (f) processing at the fuel production facility the
second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to produce renewable
hydrogen; and (g) producing a third amount of liquid transportation
or heating fuel by a process that comprises combining renewable
hydrogen derived from the second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock with a desulfurized, crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon
in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon
with the renewable hydrogen.
[0024] In another aspect, the present invention provides a method
of producing a transportation or heating fuel comprising: (a)
causing a first amount of combustible fluid feedstock to be
introduced to apparatus for delivering a combustible fluid
feedstock to a fuel production facility, the first amount of
combustible fluid feedstock being derived from a crude biogas that
was generated by anaerobic digestion of waste organic material and
from which impurities were removed following collection from a
biogas production facility; (b) withdrawing for use at a fuel
production facility, a second amount of combustible fluid feedstock
approximately equal to the first amount of combustible fluid
feedstock; (c) processing at the fuel production facility the
second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to produce renewable
hydrogen; and (d) producing a third amount of liquid transportation
or heating fuel by a process that comprises combining renewable
hydrogen derived from the second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock with a desulfurized, crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon
in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon
with the renewable hydrogen.
[0025] According to a further aspect, there is provided a method of
producing a combustible fluid feedstock for use in producing a
transportation or heating fuel, the method comprising: (a)
subjecting waste organic material to anaerobic digestion by
microorganisms in a biogas production facility that incorporates
apparatus to collect the microbially generated biogas; (b)
collecting an amount of crude biogas from the biogas production
facility; (c) removing impurities from the crude biogas to yield a
combustible fluid feedstock; (d) introducing a first amount of
combustible fluid feedstock from step (b) or (c) to apparatus for
delivering a combustible fluid feedstock to fuel production
facility; and (e) causing a fuel production facility to use
combustible fluid feedstock in a process for producing
transportation or heating fuel, the process comprising: (i)
withdrawing for use at a fuel production facility a second amount
of combustible fluid feedstock from the apparatus approximately
equal to the first amount of combustible fluid feedstock; (ii)
processing the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to
produce renewable hydrogen; and (iii) combining renewable hydrogen
derived from the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock with
a desulfurized, crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor
under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the
renewable hydrogen.
[0026] According to another aspect, the present invention further
provides a method of transforming waste organic material to produce
a liquid transportation or heating fuel comprising: (a) subjecting
waste organic material to anaerobic digestion by microorganisms in
a biogas production facility that incorporates apparatus to collect
the microbially generated biogas; (b) collecting an amount of crude
biogas from the biogas production facility; (c) removing impurities
from the crude biogas to yield a combustible fluid feedstock; (d)
introducing a first amount of the combustible fluid feedstock from
step (b) or (c) to apparatus for delivering a combustible fluid
feedstock to fuel production facility; (e) withdrawing for use at a
fuel production facility a second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock approximately equal in energy content to the first amount
of combustible fluid feedstock; (f) processing at the fuel
production facility the second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock to produce a third amount of renewable hydrogen; and (g)
producing a fourth amount of liquid transportation or heating fuel
by a process that comprises combining the third amount of renewable
hydrogen derived from the second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock with a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon and an
additional effective amount of hydrogen of sufficient quantity to
desulfurize the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon, wherein step
(g) is carried out in a reactor under conditions to simultaneously
desulfurize and hydrogenate the crude oil derived liquid
hydrocarbon; and wherein the amount of the hydrogen that becomes
bonded to the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in step (g) is
greater than or equal to two thirds of the third amount of
renewable hydrogen.
[0027] In another aspect, the invention provides a method of
producing a transportation or heating fuel comprising: (a) causing
a first amount of combustible fluid feedstock to be introduced to
apparatus for delivering combustible fluid feedstock to a fuel
production facility, the first amount of combustible fluid
feedstock being derived from a crude biogas that was generated by
anaerobic digestion of waste organic material and from which
impurities were removed following collection from a biogas
production facility; (b) withdrawing for use at a fuel production
facility, a second amount of combustible fluid feedstock
approximately equal to the first amount of combustible fluid
feedstock; (c) processing at the fuel production facility the
second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to produce a third
amount of renewable hydrogen; (d) producing a fourth amount of
liquid transportation or heating fuel by a process that comprises
combining the third amount of renewable hydrogen derived from the
second amount of combustible fluid feedstock with a crude oil
derived liquid hydrocarbon and an additional effective amount of
hydrogen of sufficient quantity to desulfurize the crude oil
derived liquid hydrocarbon, wherein step (d) is carried out in a
reactor under conditions to simultaneously desulfurize and
hydrogenate the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon; and wherein
the amount of hydrogen that becomes bonded to the crude oil derived
liquid hydrocarbon is greater than or equal to two thirds of the
third amount of renewable hydrogen.
[0028] In another aspect, there is further provided a method of
producing a combustible fluid feedstock for use in producing a
transportation or heating fuel, the method comprising: (a)
subjecting waste organic material to anaerobic digestion by
microorganisms in a biogas production facility that incorporates
apparatus to collect the microbially generated biogas; (b)
collecting an amount of crude biogas from the biogas production
facility; (c) removing impurities from the crude biogas to yield a
combustible fluid feedstock; (d) introducing a first amount of
combustible fluid feedstock from step (b) or (c) to apparatus for
delivering a combustible fluid feedstock to fuel production
facility; and (e) causing a fuel production facility to use
combustible fluid feedstock in a process for producing
transportation or heating fuel, the process comprising: (i)
withdrawing for use at a fuel production facility a second amount
of combustible fluid feedstock from the apparatus approximately
equal to the first amount of combustible fluid feedstock; (ii)
processing the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to
produce a third amount of renewable hydrogen; and (iii) producing a
fourth amount of liquid transportation or heating fuel by a process
that comprises combining the third amount of renewable hydrogen
derived from the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock with
a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon and an additional effective
amount of hydrogen of sufficient quantity to desulfurize the crude
oil derived liquid hydrocarbon, wherein step (iii) is carried out
in a reactor under conditions to simultaneously desulfurize and
hydrogenate the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon; and wherein
the amount of hydrogen that becomes bonded to the crude oil derived
liquid hydrocarbon is greater than or equal to two thirds of the
third amount of renewable hydrogen.
[0029] In another aspect, the invention provides a method of
producing a transportation or heating fuel comprising: (a) causing
a first amount of combustible fluid feedstock to be introduced to
apparatus for delivering combustible fluid feedstock to a fuel
production facility, the first amount of combustible fluid
feedstock being derived from a crude biogas that was generated by
anaerobic digestion of waste organic material and from which
impurities were removed following collection from a biogas
production facility; (b) withdrawing for use at a fuel production
facility, a second amount of combustible fluid feedstock
approximately equal to the first amount of combustible fluid
feedstock; (c) processing at the fuel production facility the
second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to produce a third
amount of renewable hydrogen; (d) producing a fourth amount of
liquid transportation or heating fuel by a process comprising
combining the third amount of renewable hydrogen derived from the
second amount of combustible fluid feedstock with a crude oil
derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to
simultaneously desulfurize and hydrogenate the crude oil derived
liquid hydrocarbon.
[0030] In another aspect, there is further provided a method of
producing a combustible fluid feedstock for use in producing a
transportation or heating fuel, the method comprising: (a)
subjecting waste organic material to anaerobic digestion by
microorganisms in a biogas production facility that incorporates
apparatus to collect the microbially generated biogas; (b)
collecting an amount of crude biogas from the biogas production
facility; (c) removing impurities from the crude biogas to yield a
combustible fluid feedstock; (d) introducing a first amount of
combustible fluid feedstock from step (b) or (c) to apparatus for
delivering a combustible fluid feedstock to fuel production
facility; and (e) causing a fuel production facility to use
combustible fluid feedstock in a process for producing
transportation or heating fuel, the process comprising: (i)
withdrawing for use at a fuel production facility a second amount
of combustible fluid feedstock from the apparatus approximately
equal to the first amount of combustible fluid feedstock; (ii)
processing the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to
produce a third amount of renewable hydrogen; and (iii) producing a
fourth amount of liquid transportation or heating fuel by a process
that comprises combining the third amount of renewable hydrogen
derived from the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock with
a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon, wherein step (iii) is
carried out in a reactor under conditions to simultaneously
desulfurize and hydrogenate the crude oil derived liquid
hydrocarbon.
[0031] In any of the foregoing aspects of the invention, a
renewable fuel credit may be associated with the combustible fluid
feedstock, the renewable hydrogen, the liquid transportation or
heating fuel, or a combination thereof. Preferably, a renewable
fuel credit is associated with a liquid transportation or heating
fuel. More preferably, a renewable fuel credit is associated with
the liquid transportation fuel.
[0032] In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method
that comprises generating numerical information to support a
renewable fuel credit associated with a product produced in
accordance with the method of the invention, which product is
selected from (i) the combustible fluid feedstock derived from
biogas; (ii) the renewable hydrogen; (iii) the transportation or
heating fuel comprising renewable hydrogen; and (iv) the crude
biogas.
[0033] According to another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a method of transforming waste organic material to produce
a liquid transportation or heating fuel comprising: (a) subjecting
waste organic material to anaerobic digestion by microorganisms in
a biogas production facility that incorporates apparatus to collect
the microbially generated biogas; (b) collecting an amount of crude
biogas from the biogas production facility; (c) removing impurities
from the crude biogas to yield a combustible fluid feedstock; (d)
introducing a first amount of the combustible fluid feedstock from
step (b) or (c) to apparatus for delivering a combustible fluid
feedstock to fuel production facility; (e) generating numerical
information relating to the first amount of combustible fluid
feedstock or crude biogas comprising information representing at
least 3 parameters selected from: (i) the type of renewable fuel
that it is; (ii) year in which the combustible fluid feedstock was
produced; (iii) a registration number associated with the producer
or importer of the combustible fluid feedstock; and (iv) a serial
number associated with a batch of the combustible fluid feedstock;
and (f) withdrawing for use at a fuel production facility a second
amount of combustible fluid feedstock approximately equal to the
first amount of combustible fluid feedstock; (g) processing at the
fuel production facility the second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock to produce renewable hydrogen; and (h) producing a third
amount of liquid transportation or heating fuel by a process that
comprises combining renewable hydrogen derived from the second
amount of combustible fluid feedstock with a desulfurized, crude
oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to
hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen.
[0034] In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a
method of producing a transportation or heating fuel comprising:
(a) causing a first amount of combustible fluid feedstock to be
introduced to apparatus for delivering a combustible fluid
feedstock to a fuel production facility, the first amount of
combustible fluid feedstock being derived from a crude biogas that
was generated by anaerobic digestion and from which impurities were
removed following collection from a biogas production facility; (b)
withdrawing for use at a fuel production facility, a second amount
of combustible fluid feedstock approximately equal to the first
amount of combustible fluid feedstock; (c) processing at the fuel
production facility the second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock to produce renewable hydrogen; (d) producing a third
amount of liquid transportation or heating fuel by a process that
comprises combining renewable hydrogen derived from the second
amount of combustible fluid feedstock with a desulfurized, crude
oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to
hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen; and
(e) receiving and storing numerical information relating to the
first amount of combustible fluid feedstock or crude biogas
comprising information representing at least 3 parameters selected
from: (i) the type of renewable fuel that it is; (ii) year in which
the combustible fluid feedstock was produced; (iii) a registration
number associated with the producer or importer of the combustible
fluid feedstock; and (iv) serial number associated with a batch of
the combustible fluid feedstock.
[0035] According to a further aspect of the invention, there is
provided a method of producing a combustible fluid feedstock for
use in producing a transportation or heating fuel, the method
comprising: (a) subjecting waste organic material to anaerobic
digestion by microorganisms in a biogas production facility that
incorporates apparatus to collect the microbially generated biogas;
(b) collecting an amount of crude biogas from the biogas production
facility; (c) removing impurities from the crude biogas to yield a
combustible fluid feedstock; (d) generating numerical information
relating to the first amount of combustible fluid feedstock or
crude biogas comprising information representing at least 3
parameters selected from: (i) the type of renewable fuel that it
is; (ii) year in which the combustible fluid feedstock was
produced; (iii) a registration number associated with the producer
or importer of the combustible fluid feedstock; and (iv) a serial
number associated with a batch of the combustible fluid feedstock;
and (e) introducing a first amount of combustible fluid feedstock
from step (b) or (c) to apparatus for delivering a combustible
fluid feedstock to a fuel production facility; and (f) causing a
fuel production facility to use combustible fluid feedstock in a
process for producing transportation or heating fuel, the process
comprising: (i') withdrawing for use at a fuel production facility
a second amount of combustible fluid feedstock from the apparatus
approximately equal to the first amount of combustible fluid
feedstock; (ii') processing the second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock to produce renewable hydrogen; and (iii') combining
renewable hydrogen derived from the second amount of combustible
fluid feedstock with a desulfurized, crude oil derived liquid
hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid
hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen.
[0036] In another aspect, the present invention further provides a
method of producing a transportation or heating fuel comprising:
(a) receiving combustible fluid feedstock in accordance with an
arrangement with a producer or supplier of combustible fluid
feedstock derived from crude biogas, the arrangement relating to
the use of combustible fluid feedstock in a process for producing
liquid transportation or heating fuel; (b) producing renewable
hydrogen from the received combustible fluid feedstock; (c)
producing liquid transportation or heating fuel in a process that
comprises combining renewable hydrogen with crude oil derived
liquid hydrocarbons under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid
hydrocarbons; (d) generating or receiving numerical information
relating to a product selected from (i) combustible fluid feedstock
derived from biogas; (ii) renewable hydrogen; (iii) a
transportation or heating fuel comprising renewable hydrogen; and
(iv) crude biogas, the numerical information comprising information
representing at least 3 parameters selected from: (i') the type of
product that is made by a producer or importer of the product;
(ii') year in which the product was produced; (iii') a registration
number associated with the producer or importer of the product; and
(iv') a serial number associated with a batch of the product; and
(e) providing the numerical information generated or received in
step (d) from a producer or purchaser of the product to a
government regulatory agency.
[0037] In another aspect, the present invention provides a method
of producing a combustible fluid feedstock for use in producing a
transportation or heating fuel, the method comprising: (a)
producing a combustible fluid feedstock by a process comprising:
(i) converting waste organic material to crude biogas using
microorganisms; (ii) collecting an amount of crude biogas using an
apparatus; and (ii) removing impurities from the crude biogas to
yield a combustible fluid feedstock; (b) arranging for a fuel
production facility to receive combustible fluid feedstock to use
in a process for making liquid transportation or heating fuel,
wherein the process comprises combining renewable hydrogen derived
from the combustible fluid feedstock with crude oil derived liquid
hydrocarbons under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid
hydrocarbons; (c) generating numerical information relating to the
combustible fluid feedstock or crude biogas, the information
comprising information representing at least 3 parameters selected
from: (i') the type of renewable fuel that it is; (ii') year in
which the combustible fluid feedstock was produced; (iii') a
registration number associated with the producer or importer of the
combustible fluid feedstock; and (iv') a serial number associated
with a batch of the combustible fluid feedstock; and (d) providing
the numerical information relating to the combustible fluid
feedstock or crude biogas to a government regulatory agency and to
the fuel production facility in step (b).
[0038] According to yet a further aspect of the invention, there is
provided a method for generating a renewable fuel credit associated
with biogas produced from waste organic material, the method
comprising: (a) producing biogas derived combustible fluid
feedstock from biogas; (b) arranging for a fuel production facility
to buy combustible fluid feedstock to make renewable hydrogen for
use in a process for making liquid transportation or heating fuel,
wherein the process comprises combining renewable hydrogen with
crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbons to hydrogenate the liquid
hydrocarbons; (c) generating a RIN associated with the biogas; (d)
introducing a first amount of the biogas derived combustible fluid
feedstock to apparatus for delivering a combustible fluid feedstock
to fuel production facility; and (e) transferring a RIN associated
with biogas to a purchaser of the biogas.
[0039] In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a
method of transforming waste organic material to produce a liquid
transportation or heating fuel comprising: (a) subjecting waste
organic material to anaerobic digestion by microorganisms in a
biogas production facility that incorporates apparatus to collect
the microbially generated biogas; (b) collecting an amount of crude
biogas from the biogas production facility; (c) removing impurities
from the crude biogas to yield a combustible fluid feedstock; (d)
introducing a first amount of the combustible fluid feedstock from
step (b) or (c) to apparatus for delivering a combustible fluid
feedstock to fuel production facility; (e) generating or receiving
numerical information relating to a product selected from (i)
combustible fluid feedstock derived from crude biogas; (ii)
renewable hydrogen; (iii) a transportation or heating fuel
comprising renewable hydrogen; or (iv) crude biogas, the numerical
information comprising information representing at least 3
parameters selected from: (i') the type of product that is made by
the producer or importer of the product; (ii') year in which the
product was produced; (iii') a registration number associated with
the producer or importer of the product; and (iv') a serial number
associated with a batch of the product; (f) withdrawing for use at
a fuel production facility a second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock approximately equal to the first amount of combustible
fluid feedstock; (g) processing at the fuel production facility the
second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to produce renewable
hydrogen; (h) producing a third amount of liquid transportation or
heating fuel by a process that comprises combining renewable
hydrogen derived from the second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock with a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon; and (i)
providing the numerical information generated or received in step
(e) to a government regulatory agency.
[0040] According to a further aspect of the invention, there is
provided method of producing a transportation or heating fuel
comprising: (a) causing a first amount of combustible fluid
feedstock to be introduced to apparatus capable of delivering a
combustible fluid feedstock to a fuel production facility, the
first amount of combustible fluid feedstock being derived from a
crude biogas from which impurities were removed following
collection from a biogas production facility; (b) generating or
receiving numerical information relating to a product selected from
(i) combustible fluid feedstock derived from crude biogas; (ii)
renewable hydrogen; (iii) a transportation or heating fuel
comprising renewable hydrogen; and (iv) crude biogas, the numerical
information comprising information representing at least 3
parameters selected from: (i') the type of product that is made by
a producer or importer of the product; (ii') year in which the
product was produced; (iii') a registration number associated with
the producer or importer of the product; and (iv') a serial number
associated with a batch of the product; (c) withdrawing for use at
a fuel production facility, a second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock approximately equal to the first amount of combustible
fluid feedstock; (d) processing at the fuel production facility the
second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to produce renewable
hydrogen; (e) producing a third amount of liquid transportation or
heating fuel by a process that comprises combining renewable
hydrogen derived from the second amount of combustible fluid
feedstock with a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon; and (f)
providing numerical information generated or received in step (b)
to a government regulatory agency.
[0041] According to another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a method of producing a combustible fluid feedstock for
use in producing a partially renewable transportation or heating
fuel, the method comprising: (a) producing or receiving combustible
fluid feedstock derived from biogas that has been produced from
waste organic material; (b) introducing a first amount of the
combustible fluid feedstock from step (a) to apparatus for
delivering a combustible fluid feedstock to a fuel production
facility; and (c) causing a fuel production facility to use
combustible fluid feedstock in a process that produces
transportation or heating fuel from a crude oil derived
hydrocarbon, the process comprising: withdrawing a second amount of
combustible fluid feedstock from the apparatus approximately equal
to the first amount of combustible fluid feedstock; (d) generating
numerical information relating to the first amount of combustible
fluid feedstock comprising information representing at least 3
parameters selected from: (i) the type of renewable fuel that it
is; (ii) year in which the combustible fluid feedstock was
produced; (iii) a registration number associated with the producer
or importer of the combustible fluid feedstock; and (iv) a serial
number associated with a batch of the combustible fluid feedstock;
and (e) providing the numerical information relating to the first
amount of combustible fluid to a government regulatory agency and a
purchaser of the combustible fluid feedstock.
[0042] According to any one of the foregoing aspects of the
invention, the transportation or heating fuel produced by the
process of the invention may be selected from gasoline, diesel,
heating oil and jet fuel.
[0043] According to an embodiment of any one of the above aspects
of the invention, the fuel produced by the invention is a
transportation fuel. The fuel production facility is preferably a
transportation fuel production facility.
[0044] According to any one of the foregoing aspects of the
invention, the fuel produced by the invention may be heating fuel
such as heating oil.
[0045] In a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, hydrogen
atoms from the combustible fluid feedstock become incorporated into
the final transportation fuel or heating fuel. Preferably, the
transportation or heating fuel is, or qualifies as, renewable or
partially renewable.
[0046] According to an embodiment of any one of the above aspects
of the invention, the biogas production facility is a landfill, a
waste treatment facility or a manure digestion facility.
[0047] According to those aspects of the invention that comprise
combining renewable hydrogen with a desulfurized, crude oil derived
liquid hydrocarbon, the reactor is preferably a hydrogenation
reactor. In one embodiment of the invention, the hydrogenation
reactor is a hydrocracker.
[0048] In those aspects of the invention in which the crude oil
derived liquid hydrocarbon is simultaneously desulfurized and
hydrogenated, the reactor is preferably one that carries out both
hydrotreating and hydrocracking In those aspects of the invention
in which an additional effective amount of hydrogen is used to
desulfurize, such hydrogen is preferably non-renewable.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0049] The following description is of a preferred embodiment by
way of example only and without limitation to the combination of
features necessary for carrying the invention into effect. The
headings provided are not meant to be limiting of the various
embodiments of the invention. Terms such as "comprises",
"comprising", "comprise", "includes", "including" and "include" are
not meant to be limiting.
Source of Biogas
[0050] Any source material containing waste organic material can be
used in the process of the invention to produce biogas. Waste
organic material includes, but is not limited to, landfill waste,
agricultural waste including manure and crop waste products, sewage
sludge, food waste, yard waste, industrial waste, animal waste
material, for example, slaughterhouse waste and fish waste, fats,
oils and grease from restaurants, or a combination thereof. By the
term "organic material", it is meant any non-fossil fuel substrate
that can be converted into biogas, most preferably by anaerobic
digestion using microorganisms.
[0051] In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the organic
material includes, but is not limited to biomass, such as (i)
animal waste material and animal byproducts; (ii) separated yard
waste or food waste, including recycled cooking and trap grease;
and (iii) landfill waste, including, but not limited to, food and
yard waste. The organic material in the landfill waste, including,
but not limited to, food and yard waste, may or may not be
intermixed with non-organic components of landfill material.
Biogas Production and Collection
[0052] According to the present invention, the waste organic
material is subjected to anaerobic digestion in a biogas production
facility to generate biogas. "Anaerobic digestion" is the
biological breakdown of organic material by microorganisms under
low oxygen conditions, or in the absence of oxygen, to produce a
gas comprising methane, referred to herein as biogas. As used
herein, the term encompasses any method for microbially digesting
waste organic matter under anaerobic conditions. The digestion may
or may not be contained within an anaerobic digester, as described
further below. As known to those skilled in the art, anaerobic
digestion generally involves the decomposition of waste organic
material, including carbohydrates, fats and proteins therein, into
simple sugars and glycerol. These compounds are then converted to
acids, which are then converted into methane by methanogenic
bacteria or other microorganisms.
[0053] The biogas production facility is an operation that produces
biogas either as a target product or as a co-product and includes
an agricultural, municipal or industrial operation. This includes,
without limitation, a landfill, a facility containing anaerobic
digesters, a waste treatment facility, such as a sewage treatment
facility, and a manure digestion facility, such as a facility
located on a farm or processing materials collected from farms.
Biogas may be provided through importation.
[0054] The biogas utilized in the present invention is optionally
derived from landfill waste. Landfill biogas may be produced by
organic material decomposing under anaerobic conditions in a
landfill. The waste is covered and mechanically compressed by the
weight of the material that is deposited from above. This material
prevents oxygen exposure thus allowing anaerobic microbes to
thrive. By appropriately engineering a collection system at the
landfill site, the resultant biogas is captured. Biogas can also be
produced from organic material that is separated from waste that
otherwise goes to landfills. According to further embodiments of
the invention, the biogas production site contains an anaerobic
digester for digesting the waste.
[0055] An anaerobic digester is a tank, or other contained volume,
such as a covered lagoon, designed to facilitate the breakdown of
organic material or biomass by microorganisms under anaerobic or
low oxygen conditions. The anaerobic digestion may be carried out
in one or multiple anaerobic digesters. An anaerobic digester
utilized in accordance with the invention may be designed and/or
operated in a number of configurations including batch or
continuous, mesophilic or thermophilic temperature ranges, and low,
medium or high rates. The rate refers to the chemical oxygen demand
(COD) feed rate to the unit, which is a rate measurement based on
the organic compounds present in the feed. In practice, the choice
of configuration will depend on a number of factors. These may
include consideration of the nature of the organic material or
biomass to be treated and/or the level of treatment desired. Other
factors that may be considered in the configuration choice include
operating parameters such as residence time, temperature, pH and
the nutrients supplied to a digester.
[0056] In some embodiments of the invention, the biogas production
facility is a centralized facility that receives organic material
that is transported to the facility from different sources. The
biogas production facility can be located at a fuel production
facility, which is described hereinafter.
[0057] Crude biogas is collected from the biogas production
facility by an apparatus designed for such purpose. Non-limiting
examples of apparatus to collect microbially generated biogas that
may be used in accordance with the invention include apparatus
disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,951, 296 and 7,972,082 and WO
2010/051622, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0058] Crude biogas from landfills may be collected through
extraction wells. The crude biogas can also be extracted through
horizontal trenches. The crude biogas may then be extracted and
piped to a main collection header. The main collection header can
be connected to a leachate collection system. A blower may be
needed to pull the gas from the collection wells to the collection
header and further downstream.
[0059] Alternatively, an existing landfill biogas vent can be
converted to a vertical well. The density of the wells within the
landfill generally varies, depending on the composition of the
landfill waste. As set out above, the landfill site may contain an
anaerobic digester, in which case the apparatus collects biogas
originating from the anaerobic digester.
[0060] Biogas can be withdrawn from a digester by a pipe or other
similar apparatus for removing the biogas from the digester. The
pipe or other similar apparatus may be placed at the top region of
the digester to collect the biogas, or any other suitable location
to withdraw or remove the biogas from the digester.
[0061] Optionally, the biogas is stored prior to use, purification
or transport.
Biogas Purification
[0062] Apart from the desired methane, the crude biogas will
typically contain one or more impurities such as carbon dioxide,
hydrogen sulfide, water, oxygen, nitrogen and halogenated
compounds. The impurities in the crude biogas can be removed by any
suitable method, or combination of methods to yield relatively
purified combustible fluid feedstock. The crude biogas can be
purified to any degree, including, but not limited to, the extent
required to meet pipeline specifications. Although typically in gas
form, the combustible fluid feedstock can be a liquid or a gas. In
a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least carbon dioxide is
removed from the crude biogas, although other impurities can
optionally be removed as well.
[0063] Carbon dioxide removal from the crude biogas may be carried
out by scrubbing techniques such as water or polyethylene glycol
scrubbing, which involve flowing biogas through a column with a
water or polyethylene glycol solution flowing counter-current to
the biogas. Carbon dioxide is removed from the crude biogas by
these techniques since it is more soluble in water or polyethylene
glycol than methane.
[0064] A further technique for carbon dioxide removal from the
crude biogas is pressure swing absorption, which utilizes
adsorptive materials, such as zeolites and activated carbon that
preferentially adsorb carbon dioxide at high pressure. When the
pressure is released, the carbon dioxide desorbs.
[0065] Membrane separation is another technique that can be used to
remove carbon dioxide from the crude biogas. Membrane separation
may include high pressure gas separation or gas-liquid absorption
membranes.
[0066] According to further embodiments of the invention, removal
of hydrogen sulfide from the crude biogas is carried out by
bacteria, such as chemotrophic thiobacteria that are capable of
oxidizing hydrogen sulfide and using carbon dioxide as a carbon
source. Bacterial removal of hydrogen sulfide may be carried out in
an anaerobic digester or a storage tank. The addition of oxygen
into a digester or storage tank promotes the growth of indigenous
thiobacteria. In further exemplary embodiments, removal of hydrogen
sulfide by bacteria is combined with water scrubbing. Another
method for removing hydrogen sulfide is the addition of iron
chloride to an anaerobic digester. The iron chloride reacts with
hydrogen sulfide that is produced to form iron sulfide salt. Other
non-limiting examples of techniques that can be utilized to remove
hydrogen sulfide include the addition of iron oxide to a digester,
which reacts with hydrogen sulfide to produce iron sulfide,
pressure swing absorption, water scrubbing, polyethylene glycol
scrubbing and sodium hydroxide scrubbing.
[0067] Halogenated hydrocarbons can be removed by contacting the
biogas with activated carbon. Oxygen and nitrogen impurities can be
removed by membranes or pressure swing adsorption.
[0068] Combustible fluid feedstock is a combustible fluid that
predominantly comprises methane. The fluid is typically a gas but
may be a liquid. In certain embodiments of the invention, the
combustible fluid feedstock comprises predominantly methane and may
further comprise other volatile combustible hydrocarbons.
Combustible fluid feedstock may be derived from biogas, either
crude or purified to any degree.
Transport of Combustible Fluid Feedstock
[0069] After generation, the combustible fluid feedstock is
introduced to an apparatus for delivering combustible fluid
feedstock to a fuel production facility. In a preferred embodiment,
such apparatus will be a pipeline, such as a natural gas pipeline
or a biogas dedicated pipeline. Alternatively, the apparatus may be
a container for transporting the combustible fluid feedstock by
rail, trucking or shipping, or any other commercial distribution
system. A combustible fluid feedstock may be transported in gaseous
or liquid form. Combustible fluid feedstock derived from biogas is
introduced into the apparatus described above and transported to a
fuel production facility.
[0070] Combustible fluid feedstock is supplied or transported to a
fuel production facility for use in making liquid transportation
fuels. As is well-understood in the art, however, combustible fluid
feedstock may also be supplied or transported to fuel production
facilities for making fuels for other uses, such as heating fuels,
in conformity with the processes described herein. By the term
"fuel production facility", it is meant any processing plant or
plants where crude oil or crude oil derived hydrocarbons are
processed and refined into more useful products that include fuel,
liquid transportation fuel, fuel intermediates, fuel components, or
any combination thereof. Non-limiting examples include, but are not
limited to, gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, fuels made from
naphtha, fuel oils and liquefied petroleum gas. By the term
"transportation fuel production facility", it is meant any
processing plant or plants where crude oil or crude oil derived
hydrocarbons are processed and refined into liquid transportation
fuel, intermediates or components thereof, or any combination of
the foregoing. The crude oil may be derived from oil reservoirs,
such as hydrocarbons found within rock formations, oil sands or oil
shale.
[0071] Combustible fluid feedstock is supplied or transported to
the fuel production facility. In some embodiments of the invention,
the apparatus for transport is a commercial distribution system,
such as a natural gas pipeline, in which case biogas derived
combustible fluid feedstock may become intermixed with methane that
originates from fossil fuel sources (natural gas). In such
embodiments of the invention, the combustible fluid feedstock that
is withdrawn to make renewable hydrogen and transportation or
heating fuel therefrom may comprise methane from biogas, methane
from natural gas or mixtures thereof.
[0072] The apparatus for delivering combustible fluid feedstock may
be integral or connected with the apparatus to collect the biogas
in the biogas production facility. Alternatively, the apparatus for
delivering combustible fluid feedstock and the apparatus to collect
the biogas are separate, unconnected units. The apparatus for
delivering a combustible fluid feedstock to a fuel production
facility delivers, or is capable of delivering, combustible fluid
feedstock to one or more fuel production facilities. It should also
be appreciated that the biogas production facility could be located
on-site or in close proximity to the fuel production facility.
Combustible fluid feedstock is withdrawn from apparatus at a fuel
production facility and then processed to produce renewable
hydrogen.
Renewable Hydrogen Production from Biogas
[0073] Renewable hydrogen is hydrogen made using renewably sourced
combustible fluid feedstock. This includes hydrogen made using any
of the following, or any combination of the following: (a)
combustible fluid feedstock purified or derived directly from
biogas; and (b) combustible fluid feedstock sourced by the steps of
(i) causing (as described herein) a first amount of combustible
fluid feedstock derived from crude biogas to be introduced into
apparatus for delivering combustible fluid feedstock to processing
facilities; and (ii) withdrawing at the destination a second amount
of combustible fluid feedstock approximately equal in energy
content to the first amount of combustible fluid feedstock.
Renewable hydrogen includes hydrogen sourced from (i) biogas
derived from anaerobic digestion; (ii) methane, including natural
gas or fossil fuel derived methane which qualifies under applicable
laws and regulations to be treated as renewably derived biogas; or
(iii) any combination of (i) or (ii).
[0074] Renewable hydrogen production from combustible fluid
feedstock may be carried out by any suitable means known to those
of skill in the art. Technologies that can be utilized in
accordance with the present invention for producing renewable
hydrogen from methane include, but are not limited to, autothermal
reforming ("ATR") and steam methane reforming ("SMR") and
additionally water gas shift reactions or other like technologies
as known to those skilled in the art. Both ATR and SMR methods
operate by exposing the combustible fluid feedstock or methane
therein to a catalyst at high temperature and pressure to produce
syngas, which is renewable hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The carbon
monoxide generated by either method may be generally further
reacted with water in a water gas shift reaction to form carbon
dioxide and renewable hydrogen. SMR converts the methane into
renewable hydrogen and carbon monoxide without oxygen. The carbon
monoxide reacts further to produce more renewable hydrogen in the
water gas shift reaction. The relevant equations are as
follows:
CH.sub.4+H.sub.2O.fwdarw.CO+3H.sub.2
CO+H.sub.2O.fwdarw.CO.sub.2+H.sub.2
[0075] Without being limiting, conventional steam reforming plants
may operate at pressures between 200 and 600 psi with outlet
temperatures in the range of 815 to 925.degree. C.
[0076] ATR uses oxygen and carbon dioxide or steam in a reaction
with methane to form syngas and water. The reaction may take place
in a single chamber where the methane is partially oxidized. The
reaction is exothermic due to the oxidation. The reactions can be
described in the following equations, using CO.sub.2:
2CH.sub.4+O.sub.2+CO.sub.2.fwdarw.3H.sub.2+3CO+H.sub.2O
and using steam:
4CH.sub.4+O.sub.2+2H.sub.2O.fwdarw.10H.sub.2+4CO.
[0077] A significant difference between SMR and ATR is that SMR
uses no oxygen.
[0078] SMR and ATR are carried out in any suitable device or
devices for producing renewable hydrogen from a combustible fluid
feedstock and include devices and operations that are known or used
in the art for such purposes. The steam reforming operation may be
situated in the fuel production facility or the operation may be a
separate plant located off-site.
[0079] It is preferred that the renewable hydrogen produced by SMR
or ATR be purified to remove one or more non-hydrogen components.
The renewable hydrogen may be purified by methods known to those
skilled in the art, such as liquid absorption system for carbon
dioxide removal or a pressure swing absorption operation to produce
a purified renewable hydrogen product.
Production of Fuel
[0080] After production, the renewable hydrogen is used in a
process to produce a liquid transportation or heating fuel. The
renewable hydrogen is combined with a crude oil derived liquid
hydrocarbon so that it becomes incorporated into the hydrocarbon
and ultimately is part of the liquid transportation or heating fuel
that is the product of the fuel production facility. By the term
"crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon", it is meant any
carbon-containing material derived from crude oil that is liquid at
standard ambient temperature and pressure. Crude oil includes
liquid, gaseous and solid carbon-containing material from geologic
formations, including oil reservoirs, such as hydrocarbons found
within rock formations, oil sands or oil shale. Advantageously,
since the hydrogen according to the present invention that is added
to the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon is renewable, the
resultant transportation or heating fuel is considered a fuel
having renewable content, or reduced fossil fuel content.
(t) Addition of Renewable Hydrogen
[0081] The incorporation of renewable hydrogen into the crude oil
derived liquid hydrocarbon according to the present invention
encompasses the addition, incorporation or bonding of renewable
hydrogen to crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon. Such reactions
include hydrogenation, which includes, without limitation, any
reaction in which renewable hydrogen is added to a crude oil
derived liquid hydrocarbon through a chemical bond or linkage to a
carbon atom. The renewable hydrogen may become bonded to a carbon
backbone, a side chain, or a combination thereof, of a linear or
ring compound of a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon.
Hydrogenation reactions may be carried out in the presence of a
catalyst.
[0082] The addition or incorporation of renewable hydrogen into the
crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon can be achieved by the
addition of such hydrogen to an unsaturated or a saturated
hydrocarbon. This includes addition of renewable hydrogen to
unsaturated groups, such as alkenes or aromatic groups, on the
crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon. Furthermore, the addition or
incorporation of hydrogen may be accompanied by the cleavage of a
hydrocarbon molecule. This may include a reaction that involves the
addition of a hydrogen atom to each of the molecular fragments that
result from the cleavage. Without being limiting, such reactions
may include ring opening reactions and/or dealkylation reactions.
Other reactions that may involve the addition of hydrogen include
reactions carried out prior to isomerization and cyclization.
[0083] The hydrogenation reactions may be conducted in a
"hydrogenation reactor". As used herein, the term "hydrogenation
reactor" includes any reactor in which hydrogen is added to a crude
oil derived liquid hydrocarbon. The hydrogenation reactor may be a
hydrocracking reactor or a "hydrocracker" or any other reactor in
which hydrogen becomes bonded to a crude oil derived liquid
hydrocarbon, as described hereinafter.
[0084] Without being limiting, hydrogenation reactions may involve
saturation of aromatics, olefins (alkenes), or a combination
thereof. Non-limiting examples of hydrogenation reactions are
provided below. Such reactions are known to those of skill in the
art and are reproduced from Robinson et al., Practical Advances in
Petroleum Processing, Vol. 1, Ed. by Chang S. Hsu and Paul R.
Robinson, Springer, N.Y., Chapter 7, "Hydrotreating and
Hydrocraking: Fundamentals" (2006) 177-218.
##STR00001##
[0085] The following reactions, which are not meant to be limiting
in any manner, exemplify how reactions that cleave hydrocarbons
incorporate hydrogen atoms into a hydrocarbon molecule. The first
reaction is a ring opening reaction and the second is a ring
dealkylation.
##STR00002##
(ii) Desulfurization of Liquid Hydrocarbon
[0086] In the present invention, the renewable hydrogen produced
from the combustible fluid feedstock can be combined with a crude
oil derived liquid hydrocarbon that is desulfurized. By the term
"desulfurized, crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon", it is meant
that a large part or all of the sulfur is removed from a crude oil
derived liquid hydrocarbon. In one example of the invention, at
least 75%, or at least 85 or 90% of the sulfur is removed from the
crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon.
[0087] The sulfur may be removed in a reactor that desulfurizes a
crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon, such as a hydrotreater. The
hydrotreater can also remove nitrogen and oxygen.
[0088] The desulfurized, crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon may
then be fed to a reactor that operates under conditions to
hydrogenate the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon with the
renewable hydrogen. The reactor can be a hydrocracker, as described
below. Sulfur and nitrogen compounds and/or metals are removed
before entering the hydrocracking reactor as these components can
act as poisons to the hydrocracking catalyst.
(iii) Hydrocracking
[0089] As set out above, hydrogenation reactions can be carried out
in a hydrocracker. Hydrocracking typically employs a catalyst and
hydrogen. Hydrocracking reactions involve the conversion of
relatively high-boiling, high molecular weight hydrocarbons into
lower-boiling, lower molecular weight hydrocarbons by the breaking
of carbon-to-carbon bonds. The breaking of carbon-to-carbon bonds
also referred to herein as "cracking" or "hydrocracking", may be
carried out in a hydrogenation reactor. In this invention, the
cracking in the presence of renewable hydrogen can be carried out
in a hydrocracker.
[0090] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferred
that the reactor, to which the renewable hydrogen is introduced,
does not cause any significant conversion of organic sulfur into
hydrogen sulfide, as would occur in a desulfurization reactor, such
as a hydrotreater. In reactors that are operated so as to remove
sulfur in such a manner, such as a hydrotreater, a significant part
of the renewable hydrogen introduced to the reactor leaves the
reactor as H.sub.2S, rather than being incorporated into the crude
oil derived liquid hydrocarbon by hydrogenation. Thus, according to
some embodiments of the invention, the renewable hydrogen is not
added to a desulfurization reactor or hydrotreater that primarily
or principally carries out desulfurization so as to remove sulfur
in the form of H.sub.2S.
[0091] Hydrocracking converts crude oil derived hydrocarbon to
products having lower molecular weight than that of the feed. This
results in the products having a lower boiling point relative to
the feed. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the
"conversion level" in the reactor, such as a hydrogenating or
hydrocracking reactor, is between 20 and 100 wt %. By the term
"conversion level", it is meant the difference in amount of
unconverted crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon between feed and
product divided by the amount of unconverted crude oil derived
liquid hydrocarbon in the feed. Unconverted crude oil derived
liquid hydrocarbon is material that boils above a specified
temperature. Without being limiting, for vacuum gas oil, a typical
specified temperature is 650.degree. F. (343.degree. C.). In
typical hydrotreating units, which are conducted to remove sulfur,
nitrogen and other impurities from the crude oil derived
hydrocarbon, the conversion may be less than 20 wt%, more typically
less than 15 wt %.
[0092] Typically, two catalytic sites catalyze respective cracking
and hydrogenation reactions in the hydrocracker. An acid function
may catalyze the cracking, while a metal function may catalyze
hydrogenation. In certain embodiments, the acidic support consists
of amorphous oxides or a mixture of crystalline zeolite and
amorphous oxides. The metals providing the hydrogenation function
can be noble metals, non-noble metal sulfides from group VIA and
group VIIIA. According to some embodiments, the hydrocracker uses a
catalyst that is active only for cracking and hydrogenating.
[0093] The invention is not limited by the particular feedstock fed
to the hydrocracker, although the feed may be gas oil. In some
embodiments of the invention, feedstock fed to the hydrocracking
operation is one that is difficult to process by either catalytic
cracking or reforming. In further embodiments of the invention,
such feedstock is characterized by a high polycyclic aromatic
content.
[0094] Without being limiting, the hydrocracker may receive
aromatic cycle oils and coker distillates as feedstock. These feeds
may originate from atmospheric and/or vacuum distillation units,
delayed cokers, fluid cokers, visbreakers or fluid catalytic
cracking units. Middle distillates from a hydrocracker usually meet
or exceed finished product specifications, but the heavy naphtha
from a hydrocracker may be sent to a catalytic reformer for octane
improvement.
[0095] The hydrocracking process configuration may include one or
multiple stages. According to some embodiments, a single stage
hydrocracker is utilized. For single stage hydrocrackers, the oil
fed to the hydrocracker may be previously desulfurized as described
above. Two stage hydrocracking operations may employ separate
respective reactors for desulfurization and cracking According to
this embodiment, the renewable hydrogen may be introduced to the
reactor in which the cracking reaction is conducted, after
desulfurization. In any of the foregoing process configurations,
uncracked residual hydrocarbon from the bottom of the reactor may
or may not be recycled back to a reactor. Circulation of hydrogen
with the feedstock may be utilized in order to reduce catalyst
fouling.
(iv) Combined or Simultaneous Desulfurization and Hydrogenation
[0096] In one embodiment, a liquid transportation or heating fuel
is produced by a process that comprises combining renewable
hydrogen with a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon and an
additional effective amount of hydrogen of sufficient quantity to
desulfurize the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon. The
additional effective amount of hydrogen may be derived from fossil
fuel sources. The amount of hydrogen used to desulfurize the crude
oil derived liquid hydrocarbon may be determined by those of
ordinary skill in the art using known techniques.
[0097] The foregoing process is carried out in a reactor under
conditions to simultaneously desulfurize and hydrogenate the crude
oil derived liquid hydrocarbon. The desulfurization and
hydrogenation may be conducted in a reactor that carries out both
respective functions. According to some embodiments, as would be
appreciated by those of skill in the art, the reactor may use an
amorphous catalyst that carries out both hydrotreating and
hydrocracking The desulfurization catalyst, or hydrotreating
catalyst, is designed to convert organic sulfur in crude oil
derived hydrocarbons to H.sub.2S, while the hydrogenation catalyst,
or hydrocracking catalyst, provides for cracking and hydrogenation
of the hydrocarbons. Additionally, the hydrotreating may convert
organic nitrogen to ammonia. The conditions used in the reactor are
conventional and can be readily selected by those of ordinary skill
in the art.
[0098] According to some embodiments of the invention, the hydrogen
that becomes bonded to the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon is
greater than or equal to two thirds of the renewable hydrogen that
is either contracted for or otherwise introduced to the fuel
production facility or reactor. According to further embodiments of
the invention, the hydrogen that becomes bonded to the crude oil
derived liquid hydrocarbon is greater than or equal to 3/4 or 7/8
of the renewable hydrogen that is either contracted for or
otherwise introduced to the fuel production facility or
reactor.
Additional Refining Steps
[0099] Other process steps besides those described above can be
carried out in the fuel production facility to produce the
transportation or heating fuel. Examples of such process steps
include isomerization and catalytic reforming. Prior to
isomerization, the crude oil derived hydrocarbon may be sent to a
hydrogenation reactor, which may saturate olefins to paraffins and
saturate benzene. Both isomerization and catalytic reforming
increase the octane rating of the liquid hydrocarbon, which is a
measure of the likelihood that a gasoline or liquid petroleum fuel
will self-ignite during compression. The higher the number, the
less prone the engine is to uncontrolled ignition, including
pre-ignition. Those of ordinary skill herein understand that
different technology configurations may be used and the embodiments
and examples discussed herein are non-limiting, and accordingly
that other known or later-developed technologies for processing and
producing fuels, including various different configurations, may be
utilized in conformity with the present invention.
Fuel Product
[0100] As mentioned previously, if portions of the hydrogen
contained in fuel produced from a fuel production facility are
derived from renewable hydrogen as set forth above, the fuel
product produced by the fuel production facility may be considered
a renewable fuel or a fuel having renewable content.
[0101] The fuel produced in accordance with the invention may be
referred to as a petroleum-based fuel. Fuel produced by a fuel
production facility is typically liquid at ambient temperature and
pressure and includes transportation fuel for use in motor
vehicles, motor vehicle engines, non-road vehicles or non-road
engines, or jet fuel and heating oil.
[0102] Liquid transportation or heating fuel products or portions
thereof resulting from the present invention may be considered
renewable fuel, and qualify for renewable fuel credits as described
herein. In addition, the process itself may generate low carbon
fuel credits. In some embodiments of this invention, the
combustible fluid feedstock used to make renewable hydrogen is
derived or purified directly from crude biogas. In such embodiments
the renewable hydrogen derived from such combustible fluid
feedstock is incorporated into the liquid transportation or heating
fuel product to make a renewable or partially renewable fuel. In
some of these embodiments, the apparatus used to transport the
combustible fluid feedstock is a shipping container or pipeline
that does not carry natural gas.
[0103] However, in additional embodiments of the invention where a
natural gas pipeline or other like commercial distribution system
is utilized as the apparatus to transport combustible fluid
feedstock to the fuel production facility, then the combustible
fluid feedstock, upon withdrawal from the apparatus for use at the
fuel production facility, may comprise methane derived from biogas,
methane derived from natural gas or mixtures of methane derived
from both natural gas and biogas. In such embodiments, this
withdrawn combustible fluid feedstock can be used to produce
renewable hydrogen and make a liquid transportation or heating fuel
that has renewable content or is otherwise considered a renewable
or partially renewable fuel.
[0104] Government authorities have recognized that it does not make
any difference, in terms of the beneficial environmental attributes
associated with the use of biogas, whether the displacement of
fossil fuel occurs in a fungible natural gas pipeline, or in a
specific fuel production facility that draws combustible fluid
feedstock from that pipeline. In fact, similar considerations are
widely accepted with respect to electricity generated by renewable
biomass that is placed into a commercial electricity grid. A party
buying the renewable power is credited with doing so in state
renewable portfolio programs even though the power from these
sources is placed in the fungible grid and the electrons produced
by a renewable source may never actually be used by the party
purchasing it. In essence these programs assume that the renewable
power purchased and introduced into the grid is in fact used by the
purchaser, even though all parties acknowledge that use of the
actual renewable-derived electrons cannot be verified once placed
in the fungible grid. Governments have also recognized that that
this approach will ultimately further the GHG reduction and energy
security goals set out in various pieces of legislation including
the EISA and the RFS, including RFS2.
[0105] As a result, under certain current regulations, producers
may treat the combustible fluid feedstock withdrawn from a pipeline
as renewably derived, effectively taking into account the
displacement of fossil derived natural gas in the pipeline by
renewably derived combustible fluid feedstock, provided that they
demonstrate that a verifiable contractual pathway exists and that
such pathway ensures that (1) a specific volume of combustible
fluid feedstock derived directly from biogas was placed into a
commercial pipeline that ultimately serves the fuel production
facility; (2) that the volume of combustible fluid feedstock
withdrawn into this facility from that pipeline matches the volume
of combustible fluid feedstock derived directly from biogas placed
into the pipeline system; and (3) that the quantity of combustible
fluid feedstock for which renewable fuel credits were generated was
sold for use as transportation or heating fuel and for no other
purpose. Where such conditions are satisfied, liquid transportation
or heating fuel made using combustible fluid feedstock withdrawn
from a natural gas pipeline may qualify for renewable fuel credits.
It should be understood that the requirements for the combustible
fluid feedstock to qualify as renewable or renewably derived may
change according to government standards and that the invention is
not limited to the current rules as would be known by those of
skill in the art.
[0106] In accordance with the invention, a first amount of
combustible fluid feedstock is introduced to apparatus for
delivering combustible fluid feedstock to a fuel production
facility and a second amount is withdrawn for use at the fuel
production facility. The first amount of combustible fluid
feedstock may also be referred to as the introduced amount and the
second amount of combustible fluid feedstock that is withdrawn from
the apparatus may also be referred to as the withdrawn amount.
According to one delivery mode of the invention where a natural gas
pipeline is used or other like commercial distribution system, the
withdrawn amount of combustible fluid feedstock is "approximately
equal" to the first amount of combustible fluid feedstock. By
"approximately equal", it is meant that the energy content or heat
value of the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock does not
substantially vary from the energy or heat value of the introduced
amount of combustible fluid feedstock, such as by more than about
10%, more preferably by more than about 5%. The energy content or
heat value may be measured using British thermal units (BTU) or
joules for a given volume of the combustible fluid feedstock.
[0107] It will be understood that the introduced amounts and the
withdrawn amounts of combustible fluid feedstock may not be all the
combustible fluid feedstock that is introduced into or withdrawn
from the apparatus for delivering combustible fluid feedstock. For
example, a biogas production facility may introduce more
combustible fluid feedstock into a pipeline than will ultimately be
processed in accordance with the invention, and similarly, a fuel
production facility may withdraw more combustible fluid feedstock
from a pipeline than will ultimately be used in accordance with the
invention. It will also be understood that quantities of
combustible fluid feedstock may be introduced into and withdrawn
from the apparatus for delivering combustible fluid feedstock in
batch sizes or at rates that are not identical at the introduction
and withdrawal points.
[0108] Combustible fluid feedstock that has been delivered to an
apparatus for delivering combustible fluid feedstock to a fuel
production facility, and is withdrawn for use, may comprise methane
derived from natural gas or mixtures of natural gas and biogas.
[0109] According to some embodiments of the invention, one or more
parties can cause a fuel production facility to use combustible
fluid feedstock in a process for producing renewable hydrogen
(further described herein) to make transportation or heating fuel.
In other embodiments of the invention, one or more parties can
cause combustible fluid feedstock, derived from crude biogas, to be
introduced to an apparatus for delivering combustible fluid
feedstock to a fuel production facility, and withdrawal of
combustible fluid feedstock for use in producing renewable hydrogen
to make transportation or heating fuel.
[0110] The term "cause", as used herein means to arrange or bring
about, either directly or indirectly, including through commercial
arrangements such as a written agreement, verbal agreement or
contract.
[0111] In some embodiments of the invention, a party causes a fuel
production facility to (a) withdraw combustible fluid feedstock
from an apparatus for delivering combustible fluid feedstock; and
(b) process the combustible fluid feedstock to produce renewable
hydrogen for use in making transportation or heating fuel,
preferably transportation or heating fuel with renewable content.
In such embodiments the party is typically a biogas producer or one
or more third parties that supply or deliver the combustible fluid
feedstock to the fuel production facility or both. The biogas
producer, including an importer or intermediate party, that
supplies or delivers the combustible fluid feedstock to the fuel
production facility, preferably enters into a contract or agreement
with a fuel production facility to sell combustible fluid feedstock
derived from crude biogas, or to introduce combustible fluid
feedstock derived from biogas into an apparatus for delivering
same, for use in a process for producing transportation or heating
fuel. Such contract may meet the standards of Government
authorities for the generation of renewable fuel credits.
Combustible fluid feedstock is then used or processed to make
renewable hydrogen which is then used to make transportation or
heating fuel. In some embodiments of the invention, renewable
hydrogen is combined with a desulfurized, crude oil derived liquid
hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid
hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen. In other embodiments of
the invention, the renewable hydrogen is combined with a crude oil
derived liquid hydrocarbon and an additional effective amount of
hydrogen of sufficient quantity to desulfurize the crude oil
derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor in which desulfurization
and hydrogenation of the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon
occurs in the same reactor, and preferably simultaneously.
[0112] According to further embodiments of the invention, a party
causes combustible fluid feedstock that has been derived from crude
biogas to be introduced to an apparatus for delivering combustible
fluid feedstock to a fuel production facility. In such embodiment,
the party may be a fuel production facility or an intermediate
party. The fuel production facility or the intermediate party
preferably enters into a contract or agreement with a biogas
producer or supplier to purchase combustible fluid feedstock
derived from crude biogas for use in a process for producing
transportation or heating fuel. Such contract may meet the
standards of Government authorities for the generation of renewable
fuel credits. Combustible fluid feedstock is then used or processed
to make renewable hydrogen which is then used to make
transportation or heating fuel. In some embodiments of the
invention, renewable hydrogen is combined with a desulfurized,
crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions
to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen.
In other embodiments of the invention, the renewable hydrogen is
combined with a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon and an
additional effective amount of hydrogen of sufficient quantity to
desulfurize the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor
in which desulfurization and hydrogenation of the crude oil derived
liquid hydrocarbon occurs in the same reactor, and preferably
simultaneously.
[0113] The foregoing commercial arrangement or agreements may
include one or more conditions, including the following conditions:
(i) the fuel production facility or other party arranges to procure
an amount or amounts of combustible fluid feedstock, such as a
volume amount or a heat or energy content; (ii) the combustible
fluid feedstock is only to be procured by the party specified in
the commercial arrangement or agreement; (iii) the amount of
combustible fluid feedstock, such as a volume amount or a heat or
energy content, that is withdrawn from an apparatus for delivering
a combustible fluid feedstock, such as a commercial distribution
system, is withdrawn in a manner and at a time consistent with the
transport of the combustible fluid feedstock between injection and
withdrawal points; (iv) the amount of combustible fluid feedstock
introduced and withdrawn from an apparatus for delivering a
combustible fluid feedstock is measured, such as by metering; (v)
an apparatus for delivering a combustible fluid feedstock serves
the fuel production facility; (vi) the specified quantity of
combustible fluid feedstock introduced and the quantity withdrawn
is only used for transportation or heating purposes; and any
combination of conditions (i)-(vi).
Meeting Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel Targets
[0114] The invention advantageously provides a methodology for
meeting renewable fuel targets or mandates established by
governments, including legislation and regulations for
transportation or heating fuel sold or introduced into commerce in
the United States. Examples of such legislation include the EISA
and California AB 32--The Global Warming Solutions Act, which
respectively established an RFS and a Low Carbon Fuel Standard
(LCFS).
[0115] The present invention may allow for the generation of a
"credit" or "renewable fuel credit", which means any rights,
credits, revenues, offsets, greenhouse gas rights, rights to any
greenhouse gas emission reductions, carbon-related credits or
equivalent arising from emission reduction trading or any
quantifiable benefits (including recognition, award or allocation
of credits, allowances, permits or other tangible rights), whether
created from or through a governmental authority or a private
contract. According to an embodiment of the invention, the
renewable fuel credit is a certificate, record, serial number or
guarantee, in any form, including electronic, which evidences
production of a quantity of fuel meeting certain lifecycle GHG
emission reductions relative to a baseline set by a government
authority. Preferably, the baseline is a gasoline baseline.
Non-limiting examples of credits include RINs and LCFS credits.
[0116] The foregoing process for producing a transportation or
heating fuel may qualify for the generation of RINs under the EISA
legislation, and LCFS credits under AB 32 as a result of the
renewable nature and favorable GHG profile of the input biogas. A
RIN is a certificate which acts as a tradable currency for managing
compliance under the RFS, and an LCFS credit is a certificate which
acts as a tradable currency for managing compliance under
California's LCFS. A RIN has numerical information associated with
the production of a qualifying renewable fuel in accordance with
regulations administered by the EPA for the purpose of managing the
production, distribution and use of renewable fuels for
transportation or other purposes. As described previously, the
utilization of renewable feedstocks to produce transportation or
heating fuel has been promoted by various governments, including
the United States government through the EISA legislation. One of
the goals of the act is to increase the production and use of clean
renewable fuels. In order to achieve this objective, EISA mandates
the use of aggregate volumes of different categories of renewable
biofuels within the total pool of transportation or heating fuels
sold or introduced into commerce in the United States.
[0117] The mandated annual targets of renewable content in
transportation or heating fuel are implemented through an RFS
program that uses RINs to track and manage the production,
distribution and use of renewable fuels for transportation or
heating purposes. Prorated mandated volume requirements are
determined for each "obligated party", such as individual gasoline
and diesel producers and/or importers, based on their annual
production and/or imports. Each year, obligated parties are
required to meet their prorated share of the RFS mandates by
accumulating trading certificates, such as RINs, either through
blending designated quantities of different categories of biofuels,
or by purchasing from others the RINs of the required biofuel
categories. In the U.S., the EPA is responsible for developing
regulations for RINs, as required by section 211(o) of the Clean
Air Act, as amended by EISA.
[0118] The EPA issued regulations in 2007 referred to as "RFS1". In
a subsequent rulemaking on March 2010, EPA made a number of changes
to the program, known as "RFS2". The process disclosed above may
advantageously produce a renewable transportation or heating fuel
that would be eligible for RINs, such as under RFS2.
[0119] Renewable fuel producers may generate RINs for fuels from
feedstocks meeting the definition of renewable biomass. A fuel is
considered a renewable fuel if it meets the following requirements:
(i) It is a fuel that is produced from renewable biomass. (ii) The
fuel is used to replace or reduce the quantity of fossil fuel
present in a transportation fuel, heating oil or jet fuel. (iii)
The fuel has lifecycle GHG emissions that are at least 20 percent
less than baseline lifecycle GHG emissions. (See 40 C.F.R.
.sctn.80.1401(1)).
[0120] The process of the present invention is believed to meet
each of the foregoing legislative requirements. Biogas is sourced
from waste organic matter, including landfill biogas that is formed
from the biogenic portion of landfill material. Thus, the
transportation or heating fuel is considered to be produced from a
renewable biomass. Moreover, as described above, the renewable
hydrogen is combined with a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon so
that it becomes incorporated into a liquid transportation or
heating fuel that is the product of the fuel production facility.
Accordingly, the fuel is used to replace or reduce the quantity of
fossil fuel present in a transportation or heating fuel. With
respect to the requirement that the fuel has lifecycle GHG
emissions that are at least 20 percent less than baseline lifecycle
GHG emissions, it may be found that biogas, including that derived
from landfills, meets this threshold.
[0121] Accordingly, the transportation or heating fuel produced by
the process of the present invention or intermediates produced
thereunder may be eligible for generation of RINs. According to
some embodiments of the invention, the RINs can be generated by the
producer of the biogas and transferred to a purchaser of the
combustible fluid feedstock who makes renewable hydrogen and
subsequently a transportation or heating fuel comprising renewable
hydrogen. According to other embodiments of the invention, RINs can
be generated by a producer of the renewable hydrogen or the
transportation or heating fuel comprising the renewable hydrogen.
Advantageously, acquisition of RINs by purchase or generation
allows an obligated party to certify compliance with mandated
renewable fuel volumes, hold the RIN for future compliance or trade
it, as set out below.
[0122] Furthermore, the process of the present invention is
believed to meet the requirements for qualification to generate
advanced biofuel RINs. An advanced biofuel is a category of
renewable fuel. A fuel is considered an advanced biofuel if it is a
renewable fuel other than ethanol from corn starch, and if it has
lifecycle GHG emissions that are less than 50% less than the
baseline lifecycle GHG emissions or lifecycle GHG emissions for
gasoline. Under the current regulations, the fuel production
pathway for biogas has been pre-qualified as meeting the
requirements of advanced biofuel (see 40 C.F.R. Table 1 to
.sctn.80.1426). In addition, it may be found that the lifecycle GHG
emissions meet the 50% reduction threshold.
[0123] It should be understood that the regulations under EISA,
including RIN requirements and the criteria for categorization of a
fuel under a particular fuel category, such as life cycle GHG
emission thresholds, are described herein in accordance with
current regulations and that the invention is not limited to
current rules and will provide benefits in relation to subsequent
rule changes thereof.
Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs)
[0124] The present invention also provides a method comprising
generating numerical information to support a renewable fuel credit
associated with a product produced in accordance with the method of
the invention, which product is selected from (i) the combustible
fluid feedstock derived from biogas; (ii) the renewable hydrogen;
(iii) the transportation or heating fuel comprising renewable
hydrogen; and (iv) the crude biogas.
[0125] A RIN contains digital or numerical information about a
renewable fuel. A RIN is assigned to a batch of fuel for the
purpose of tracking its production and use, and provides for the
use of trading activities to meet environmental obligations as
provided by the United States EPA's RFS implemented according to
EISA. A RIN is generated upon production or importation of a
renewable fuel. RINs are transferred with the renewable fuel
through the distribution system until they are separated from the
fuel by parties who are entitled to make such separation (generally
refiners, importers, or parties that blend renewable fuels into
finished fuels). Separation of a RIN from a volume of renewable
fuel means termination of the assignment of the RIN to a volume of
renewable fuel, as set out below. According to current regulations,
RINs contain parameters or codes that represent numerical
information about the fuel or product. The numerical information
that is generated may relate to the combustible fuel feedstock,
crude biogas or to the transportation or heating fuel or fuel
intermediate produced by the process of the invention. According to
the present invention, a party may generate RINs comprising
numerical information relating to an amount of fuel or fuel product
representing at least three parameters selected from (i) the type
of renewable fuel that the product is; (ii) the year in which the
fuel was produced or the year the numerical information was
produced; (iii) registration number associated with the producer or
importer of the renewable fuel or product; and (iv) serial number
associated with a batch of the renewable fuel or product. Such
numerical information relates or is associated with a product, or
fuel product, selected from (a) combustible fluid feedstock derived
from crude biogas, (b) crude biogas, (c) renewable hydrogen, (c)
transportation or heating fuel comprising renewable hydrogen, or
(d) transportation or heating fuel intermediates comprising
renewable hydrogen.
[0126] The numerical information may also include one or more of
the following parameters selected from: (i') a number identifying
that the numerical information is assigned to a volume of fuel or
separated; (ii') a registration number associated with the facility
at which the fuel was produced or imported; (iii') a number
representing a value related to an equivalence value of the fuel;
(iv') a number representing a first-volume numerical information
associated with a batch of renewable fuel; and (v') a number
representing a last-volume numerical information associated with a
batch of renewable fuel.
[0127] According to further embodiments of the invention, the
numerical information may include codes representing information
about the fuel. Such codes may include a K-code, Y-code, C-code,
F-code, B-code, R-code, D-code, S-code and an E-code, wherein,
under current regulations: [0128] K is a code identifying that the
RIN is assigned to a volume of fuel or separated. [0129] K has a
value of 2 when the RIN has been separated from a volume of
renewable fuel. [0130] Y-code or YYYY: year in which the fuel was
produced. [0131] C-code or CCCC: registration number associated
with the producer or importer of the renewable fuel. [0132] F-code
or FFFFF: a registration number associated with the facility at
which the fuel was produced or imported. [0133] B-code or BBBBB:
serial number associated with a batch of the renewable fuel. [0134]
R-code or RR: a two digit number representing the relative energy
density of the renewable fuel, where, under current regulations,
this is the equivalence value, which is the ratio of the energy
density of the renewable fuel to the energy density of ethanol
multiplied by 10. [0135] D-code or D: a number identifying the type
of renewable fuel. [0136] S-code or SSSSSSSS: a number representing
the first volume-RN associated with a batch of renewable fuel.
[0137] E-code or EEEEEEEE: a number representing the last volume-RN
associated with a batch of renewable fuel.
[0138] The numerical information contained in the RIN may contain
at least 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 of the above-mentioned numerical
codes. The codes may contain a predetermined number of characters
as required by prevailing regulations. Under current regulations, a
RIN contains much of the foregoing information and other
information in the form of data elements that are introduced into a
web-based system administered by the EPA known as the EPA Moderated
Transaction System, or "EMTS". Up to Jul. 1, 2010, the numerical
information had the format of a 38 character numeric code of the
format KYYYYCCCCFFFFFBBBBBRRDSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEE. It should be
appreciated that the numerical information contained in the RIN may
vary depending upon prevailing regulations. That is, as would be
understood by those of skill in the art, the information required
to generate a RIN may be updated over time by regulatory
bodies.
[0139] The numerical information described herein or portion
thereof is provided to a government regulatory agency, including
the EPA, in connection with generating a RIN. In some embodiments
of the invention, the numerical information is also provided to a
fuel production facility or to a purchaser of biogas derived
combustible fluid feedstock. The numerical information described
herein or portions thereof may be stored electronically in computer
readable format.
Generation of RINs
[0140] A RIN may be generated by parties including renewable fuel
producers, importers, biogas producers, generators of renewable
hydrogen and fuel production facilities. According to current
regulations, RINs may be generated if the fuel is designated or
intended for use as transportation fuel, heating fuel or jet fuel.
(See 40 C.F.R. .sctn.80.1426(c)(1)). The process for the generation
and assignment of RINs by producers and importers is set out in 40
C.F.R. .sctn.80.1426, which states in part that producers and
importers of renewable fuel must generate RINs to represent that
(i) the fuel qualifies for a D-code, or EPA has approved a petition
for use of a D-code, and (ii) demonstrate that the fuel is produced
from renewable biomass.
[0141] As used herein, a producer or importer that generates RINs
may include a producer or importer of combustible fluid feedstock,
which is intended for use in a fuel production facility to make a
transportation or heating fuel. In some embodiments of the
invention, the producer or importer of biogas derived combustible
fluid feedstock generates a RIN. According to further embodiments
of the invention, the producer or importer that generates RINs may
include a fuel production facility that produces partially
renewable fuel using renewable hydrogen. Generally, producers or
importers can include a biogas production facility, a fuel
production facility or an intermediary party that facilitates the
transfer of combustible fluid feedstock.
[0142] When used as renewable fuel, biogas made from landfills,
sewage and waste treatment plants and manure digesters under the
RFS qualifies for a D code of 5, which classifies it as an
"advanced biofuel". The combustible fluid feedstock of the present
invention is produced or sourced from renewable biomass, including
biogas generated from non-separated landfill waste. Accordingly,
the combustible fluid feedstock is eligible to generate RINs. (see
40 CFR Table 1 to .sctn.80.1426).
[0143] In order to generate a RIN associated with renewable fuel, a
producer or importer registers with an administrator of the EPA
(referred to herein as an "EPA administrator"), according to
prevailing regulations. (See 40 C.F.R. .sctn.80.1450(b)).
Registration with the EPA administrator is in advance of the
renewable fuel production date. Information required in the
registration form may include, but is not limited to, the name,
business address, contact name and telephone number of the producer
or importer and location of records. (See 40 C.F.R. .sctn.80.76).
The EPA will supply a registration number to the producer or
importer and this number will be used in reports by the EPA
administrator. The EPA will also assign the permitted categories of
fuels that can be produced under the registration, and the D-code
that is assigned to each type of permitted fuel for RIN generation.
The producer or importer will also receive company and facility
identification numbers, issued by the EPA, typically prior to the
generation of any RINs for their fuel. (See 40 C.F.R.
.sctn.80.1450). In the present invention, the biogas production
facility, an intermediary or the fuel production facility could
register or provide information with the EPA to generate a RIN.
[0144] The fuel type code (D-code) of the RIN is an important
designation, as the RFS mandate volumes are set by four nested
category groups with different types of fuels qualifying for each
category. The nested category groups are differentiated by net GHG
savings relative to baseline and by the fuel type and feedstock
source as follows: [0145] a) total renewable biofuel--greater than
20% GHG savings unless grandfathered, comprised of conventional
biofuels (D code 6) and advanced biofuels (D code 3, 4, 5, or 7)
[0146] b) total advanced biofuel--greater than 50% GHG savings,
comprised of cellulosic biofuels (D code 3 or 7), biomass-based
diesel (D-code 4 or 7), and other advanced biofuels (D-code 5)
[0147] c) cellulosic biofuels--greater than 60% GHG savings,
comprised of biofuel derived from lingo-cellulosic material (D code
3) and bio-diesel derived lingo-cellulosic material (D-code 7)
[0148] d) biomass-based diesel--greater than 50% GHG savings,
comprised of conventional biodiesel (D-code 4) or cellulosic diesel
(D-code 7)
[0149] The D-code is assigned based upon the fuel type, the
feedstock, and the production process. Each specific combination of
the three components, or fuel pathway, is assigned a RIN D-code,
which is used in designating the renewable fuel category (renewable
fuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, cellulosic biofuel)
for which it qualifies.
[0150] Certain pathways have D-codes predetermined by the
regulations, while other new pathways must undergo a petition for
evaluation by the EPA. When used in transportation, biogas made
from landfills, sewage and waste treatment plants and manure
digesters under the RFS has a pre-determined D code of 5, which
classifies it as an "advanced biofuel" (see 40 CFR Table 1 to
.sctn.80.1426). The biogas combustible fluid feedstock of the
present invention would qualify to generate a RIN with a D code of
5. Alternatively, a petition could be made to the EPA to allow the
fuel produced by the present invention or any intermediate produced
thereunder to be assigned a D-code.
[0151] The producer or importer that generates a RIN reports
information pertaining to the renewable fuel, including, but not
limited to, an amount of each batch produced, where "batch" means a
discrete quantity of renewable fuel produced or imported and
assigned a unique batch-RIN. (See 40 C.F.R.
.sctn.80.1451(b)(ii)(J)). This information may be submitted to the
EPA using the EPA's Moderated Transaction System ("EMTS").
[0152] Depending on the prevailing regulations, the producer or
importer may report or provide to a government regulatory agency
part or all the following information under 40 C.F.R. .sctn.80.1451
for each batch of renewable fuel produced or imported, including,
but not limited to, the RIN generator's name; the RIN generator's
EPA company registration number; the renewable fuel producer or
importer's EPA facility registration number; the applicable
reporting period; the quantity of RINs generated for each batch
according to 40 C.F.R. .sctn.80.1426; the production date of each
batch; the fuel type of each batch; the volume of each batch
produced; the types and quantities of feedstock used; the
process(es) and feedstock(s) used and proportion of renewable
volume attributable to each process and feedstock; and a list of
the RINs generated and an affirmation that the feedstock(s) used
for each batch meets the definition of renewable biomass as defined
in 40 C.F.R. .sctn.80.1401. Furthermore, producers or importers of
biogas used as transportation fuel, heating fuel or jet fuel as
described in 40 C.F.R. .sctn.80.1426(f)(10) and (11), shall report
all of the following: the total energy produced and supplied for
use as a fuel, in units of energy (for example, MMBtu or MW) based
on metering of gas volume or electricity; and the name and location
of where the fuel is sold for such uses.
Transferring RINs
[0153] The numerical information or RINs associated with the
combustible fluid feedstock or renewable fuel may be provided to a
government regulatory agency and a purchaser of the combustible
fluid feedstock or renewable fuel for transfer to an obligated
party.
[0154] Advantageously, as set out above, transfer of the RIN to an
obligated party or the generation of a RIN by an obligated party
may allow an obligated party to certify compliance with mandated
renewable fuel volumes, or to subsequently separate the RINs and
then sell or trade them. An obligated party may include, but is not
limited to, any fuel production facility, including a refiner that
produces gasoline or diesel fuel within the 48 contiguous states or
Hawaii, or any importer that imports gasoline or diesel fuel into
the 48 contiguous states or Hawaii. (See 40 C.F.R.
.sctn.80.1406).
[0155] An obligated party registers with the EPA. (See 40 C.F.R.
.sctn.80.1450(a)). The information specified for registration is
set out in 40 C.F.R. .sctn.80.76. An obligated party receives an
EPA-issued identification number prior to engaging in any
transaction involving RINs in accordance with 40 C.F.R.
.sctn.80.1450(a).
[0156] When a party transfers ownership of a fuel and its
associated RIN, the transferor provides to the transferee, product
transfer documents. (See 40 C.F.R. .sctn.80.1453). Such documents
identify the renewable fuel and any RINs (whether assigned or
separated) and may include part of all of the following
information, as applicable: the name and address of the transferor
and transferee; the transferor's and transferee's EPA company
registration numbers; the volume of renewable fuel that is being
transferred; the date of the transfer; the per volume price of the
RIN, if applicable; the quantity of RINs being traded; the
renewable fuel type (D-code); the assignment code (K-code); the RIN
generation year; the associated reason for the transaction; and any
other applicable requirements.
[0157] Other information submitted to the EPA in connection with
the transfer of RINs may be in the form of RIN transaction reports,
listing RIN transactions, and records relating to the use of RINs
for compliance including RIN activities. (See 40 C.F.R.
.sctn.80.1454).
Separating RINs
[0158] As set out above, separation of a RIN from a volume of
renewable fuel means termination of the assignment of the RIN to a
volume of renewable fuel. RIN separation is typically carried out
by a fuel blender, importer or obligated party.
[0159] Separating RINs means that RINs are not subject to
requirements to transfer them with the renewable fuel to which they
are associated. That is, a separated RIN can be transferred to
another party without simultaneously transferring a volume of
renewable fuel to that same party. Without limitation, this allows
a party to conduct RINs transactions, such as trading or selling
the RIN, independent of the fuel. According to prevailing
regulations, when a RIN is separated, the K code of the RIN is
changed to 2.
[0160] Separation of RINs may be conducted in accordance with
prevailing rules and regulations, as currently provided in 40
C.F.R. .sctn.80.1129 and 40 C.F.R. .sctn.80.1429. RINs generated in
accordance with the invention may be separated and may also be
traded.
[0161] In accordance with certain embodiments of the invention, the
party separating the RIN may be a fuel production facility, or a
party that receives and transports combustible fluid feedstock to a
fuel production facility.
Generation and Transfer of LCFS Credits
[0162] The invention also can provide a methodology for meeting low
carbon fuel standards established by states within the United
States or other government authorities. Transportation or heating
fuels, including fuels made from crude oil derived liquid
hydrocarbons, have a net GHG emission level associated with their
production and this level can be compared against a standard,
typically the greenhouse emission standard for gasoline set by the
EPA. Due to legislative initiative and mandates, demand for
renewable transportation or heating fuels with favorable net GHG
emission reductions is increasing. For example, the mix of fuel
that oil refineries and distributors sell into the California
market can be required to meet established targets for GHG
emissions. California's LCFS can require increasing reductions in
the average lifecycle GHG emission of most transportation fuels.
Targets can be met by trading of credits generated from the use of
fuels with a lower GHG emission value than a gasoline baseline.
Similar legislation has been implemented by the province of British
Columbia, Canada, the United Kingdom and by the European Union and
is under consideration in certain U.S. states besides California.
It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited
to any particular jurisdiction in which a credit can be attained
for the fuel produced in accordance with the invention.
[0163] The conversion of waste organic material into partially
renewable or renewable liquid transportation or heating fuel
reduces the utilization of fossil fuels. It also improves the net
GHG footprint of the liquid transportation or heating fuel and
provides a commercial use for waste organic material. These
benefits can support the acquisition of a GHG certificate or credit
that may or may not be tradable. The certificate or credit may be
associated with the transportation fuel or heating fuel and
represents or is proportional to the amount of lifecycle GHG
emissions reduced or replaced. Methane derived from biogas has a
better GHG lifecycle than that derived from natural gas.
[0164] Under RFS and LCFS, fuels are characterized by their
lifecycle GHG emissions relative to baseline emissions values. For
example, under RFS, advanced biofuels have the requirement that
they have lifecycle GHG emissions that are at least 50 percent less
than baseline lifecycle GHG emissions. To determine this measure,
analyses are conducted to calculate the net GHG impact of the use
of particular fuels, and are compared by reference to the use of
gasoline per unit of fuel energy. Lifecycle GHG emissions
evaluations generally consider GHG emissions of each: (a) the
feedstock production and recovery (including if the carbon in the
feedstock is of fossil origin (such as with oil or natural gas) or
of atmospheric origin (such as with biomass)), direct impacts like
chemical inputs, energy inputs, and emissions from the collection
and recovery operations, and indirect impacts like the impact of
land use changes from incremental feedstock production; (b)
feedstock transport (including energy inputs, and emissions from
transport); (c) fuel production (including chemical and energy
inputs, emissions and byproducts from fuel production (including
direct and indirect impacts)); and (d) transport and storage prior
to use as a transport fuel (including chemical and energy inputs
and emissions from transport and storage).
[0165] Advantageously, the use of combustible fluid feedstock to
make renewable hydrogen and transportation or heating fuel
therefrom reduces the lifecycle GHG emissions compared to the
conventional process of using natural gas to make non-renewable
hydrogen and fuel therefrom. Accordingly, the fuel pathway of the
present invention may be eligible for the generation of LCFS
credits as a result of the GHG savings. LCFS credits would be
generated in proportion to the net GHG savings generated relative
to gasoline. Such credits would have associated numerical
information, and could be traded by the credit generator, an
intermediary, or party obligated under the LCFS.
[0166] In addition, this invention could also permit the generation
of either or both RINs and LCFS credits.
* * * * *
References