Economic Impacts of Feeding Microalgae/Wood Blends to Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Upgrading Systems
Experimental work observed a synergetic effect of using blended feedstocks for hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) conversion with a yield advantage over using algae only or woody biomass only as the feedstock. Experimental results for HTL and hydrotreating were used to develop the techno-economic analysis (TEA) for an algae/wood blended feedstock HTL and biocrude upgrading system. For the blended feedstock system, woody feedstock is blended with algal biomass during the lower algal productivity seasons (winter, fall, and spring) to match the maximum algal seasonal production rate. This strategy for blending woody biomass with algae leads to a 34% larger plant scale than the algae-only system with the same assumptions for algae seasonal productivity. In addition, blending low-cost woody biomass leads to lower feedstock cost than the algae-only case. Blended feedstock eliminated drying a portion of the algae during summer and spring for winter and fall use, a requirement of the algae-only case, and thus reduced the related capital and operating costs. Economic analysis results indicated that, with co-feeding of algae/woody biomass, the minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) to produce naphtha and diesel blendstock was reduced by 21% and the conversion-only cost (excluding cost for feedstock) was reduced by 13% compared to the algae-only case. Sensitivity analysis identified algae feedstock cost, algae blend ratios, and biocrude yields as key factors affecting the MFSP of the blended feedstock system.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1668764
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-148746
- Journal Information:
- Algal Research, Vol. 51
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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