Research developments

Joint venture will pursue smaller-scale gas-to-liquids opportunities

A joint venture (JV) has been formed to produce renewable fuels and chemicals from biogas and natural gas using smaller-scale gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology. The announcement was made by Waste Management Inc. (WM), Houston; Ventech Engineers International LLC, Pasadena, Texas; NRG Energy Inc., Princeton, New Jersey; and Velocys plc, Houston; and will comprise respective company subsidiaries WM Organic Growth Inc., NRG GTL Holdings LLC, VPI LF-GTL LLC and Velocys Inc.

Under the program, WM has pioneered the use of smaller-scale GTL using landfill gas, including building and operating a demonstration unit at the East Oak landfill in Oklahoma. The demonstration unit has accumulated more than 10,000 hours of successful operation.

“From developing gas recovery and cleanup techniques, to registering GTL diesel as a fuel for on-highway use, Waste Management has been a leader in this area,” says Joe Vaillancourt, WM’s vice president, corporate venturing. “We are pleased to take this opportunity forward with a very strong team. Velocys’ leading smaller-scale GTL technology, Ventech’s engineering capabilities and NRG’s clean energy development expertise will complement Waste Management’s strengths in the joint venture.”

Ventech has worked to optimize the design and engineering of the facility. “Ventech brings to the joint venture its deep expertise in the development of modular construction and specialized fabrication of refineries, gas processing systems and chemical facilities,” says Kevin Stanley, CEO of Ventech.

NRG says it brings experience in developing large renewable capital projects, a strong green customer focus and expertise in the acquisition and transportation of natural gas.

“With one of the largest and most diverse generation fleets in America, including extensive natural gas generation capacity and a leading solar portfolio as well as numerous innovative and green options for large and small customers, NRG is focused on delivering cleaner and smarter energy choices,” says John Ragan, executive vice president and regional president of Gulf Coast, NRG. “We are pleased to be part of this joint venture that fits squarely within our commitment to provide customers with more options to reduce their environmental profile.”

Velocys, a smaller-scale GTL technology provider, will supply the Fischer-Tropsch reactor and catalyst to the joint venture. “With the benefit of more than 15 years of development, over $300 million of investment, and the world’s largest microchannel patent portfolio, Velocys is pleased to bring its leading position in smaller-scale GTL technology to this partnership,” says Roy Lipski, CEO of Velocys.

Enerkem R&D project earns funding award

Montreal-based Enerkem, a waste-to-biofuels and renewable chemicals producer, says its R&D project to convert carbon from industrial waste carbon dioxide and natural gas into chemicals has been selected as a finalist in the first round of the “Grand Challenge: Innovative Carbon Uses” competition organized by Climate Change and Emissions Management Corp. (CCEMC).

Sherwood Park, Alberta-based CCEMC’s Grand Challenge has been designed to fund innovative ideas from around the world that will create new, carbon-based products and markets.

The announcement was made in Edmonton at ZERO 2014: A Conference for a Low Carbon Future. As a Grand Challenge round one finalist, Enerkem will receive CA$500,000 ($455,000) to further advance its biorefinery technology for the development of green chemicals (such as propanol, propionic acid and acrylic acid) from waste streams. Finalists were selected from 344 submissions from 37 countries on six continents.

“We are incredibly proud to be recognized for our innovations and their commercial applications,” says Vincent Chornet, president and CEO of Enerkem. “This R&D project is a good example of the full potential of our technology to produce chemicals, in addition to biofuels, by chemically recycling waste streams.”

Since 2010, CCEMC has committed to fund more than 80 projects that have a combined value of $1.6 billion. The projects are estimated by CCEMC to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 10 megatons by 2020, with additional emissions reductions as technology is commercialized and deployed. A reduction of 10 megatons in greenhouse gas emissions is the equivalent of taking about 2 million cars off the road.

“The CCEMC is pleased to support Enerkem in its leading efforts to develop a cost-effective technology to convert carbon dioxide into syngas and chemicals using catalytic conversion, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the process,” says CCEMC Chair Eric Newell.