SORPTION-ENHANCED PROCESSES FOR BIO-DME SYNTHESIS Giulio Guandalini, Matteo C. Romano, Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
DME production from biomass gasification: Results from the FLEDGED project and the way forward.
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he FLEDGED Horizon 2020 European Project (FLExible Dimethyl ether production from biomass Gasification with sorption enhancED processes, www.fledged. eu) addresses the integration of flexible Sorption-Enhanced processes for the conversion of second generation biomass (forestry biomass, agricultural residues, waste derived fuel, etc‌) to Dimethyl Ether (DME). This fuel is a promising substitute of oil-derived Diesel fuel for cars and heavy-duty vehicles, requiring minor changes of the engines and allowing energy efficient propulsion with a soot-
free combustion. The production of second-generation biofuels from biomass or waste is one of the most promising solutions to meet the CO2 emissions targets in the EU transport sector. The FLEDGED project will end in October 2020, after 4 years of hard work. The project consortium is developing technologies leading to process intensification and potential cost reduction of the biomass-to-DME conversion process. Another primary focus of the project was the development of a flexible process with respect to:(i) feedstock flexibility (ii) operational flexibility, to allow the
integration with electrolysis system for power & biomass to DME process and (iii) retrofitability into a Bio-CCS process resulting in a negative CO2 emissions system. SORPTION-ENHANCED BIOMASS GASIFICATION (SEG) In the Sorption-Enhanced gasification process, a calciumbased sorbent is used to separate carbon in the gasifier and so adjust the syngas composition fulfilled for the downstream DME synthesis. The FLEDGED activities related with SEG biomass gasification have been recently concluded and involved tests in the 30 kWth bubbling
FLEDGED project concept: from biomass to biofuels through flexible and integrated sorption-enhanced processes.
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