In 2015, the Canadian Standards Association adopted and published a series of CAN/CSA – ISO 17225 Solid Biofuels Standards based on the harmonization of European and ISO standards. The objective of the series, as stated in the ISO Standard, is “to provide unambiguous and clear classification principles for solid biofuels and to serve as a…
Activated carbon markets? Biochar is an emerging market; growing rapidly, still in its infancy, but with gigaton market potential when we, as in humanity, start addressing the climate crisis. Activated carbons are a mature market of about one million tons annual production, which is growing slowly. They are basically like fraternal twins; they have a…
Torrefied biomass is available, efficient, CO2 neutral and economic, and likely the best solid biomass on the market. Torrefaction is a thermal pre-treatment technology used to upgrade lignocellulosic biomass to higher quality and more attractive biofuel. In the torrefaction process, biomass is heated to 250-350°C in a low oxygen atmosphere, so that all moisture is…
Decentralized Organics to Energy with Containerized Anaerobic Digestion by John Forcier, P.E., Lee Enterprises Consulting Most trash and recycled waste materials are being processed on a regional basis to maximize the economy of scale. There have been various attempts to gather and process organic waste materials utilizing similar methods, but the challenges are far from…
By Dr. Gerald Kutney, Lee Enterprises Consulting A myriad of biofuel technologies exist, but which ones are truly industrial processes? The question is not always easy to answer. And one must define what is meant by an industrial process. To facilitate this task, three classifications of industrial status are utilized: Established – modern facilities are numerous,…
By: Daniel A. Lane and Joel A. Stone, Lee Enterprises Consulting Opportunities to Transition Ethanol Facilities to Biochemical Refineries? The US commercial petroleum industry started with the drilling by retired railroad conductor Edwin Drake of a well near Titusville, PA in 1859. Drake’s well sparked an oil boom and over the next couple of years,…
By Dr. Lorenz Bauer, Lee Enterprises Consulting After many years of development biomass pyrolysis is finally maturing as a commercial technology. Pyrolysis is not incineration. The goal is to use heat in the absence of oxygen to convert the biomass to a more useful form while preserving as much of the carbon as possible. The water…
By Dr. Gerald Kutney, Lee Enterprises Consulting The 150th anniversary of Confederation on July 1st is a time to reflect upon the country’s achievements; this article covers the evolution of the Canadian biofuel industry – including gaseous, liquid and solid biofuels, and biomass power – from 1867 to 2017. The foundations of the biofuel industry in…