Biomass gasification for natural gas substitution in iron ore pelletizing plants

Mariana M.O. Carvalho, Marcelo Cardoso and Esa K. Vakkilainen

Renewable Energy, 2015, vol. 81, issue C, 566-577

Abstract: The ore fines' pelletizing is an important part of iron mining, which ensures better use of natural resources and increases the blast furnace efficiency. However, this process consumes high amounts of non-renewable energy, such as natural gas (NG) and coke. Due to fossil fuel scarcity and global warming issues, at least partial substitution for renewable energy is desirable. Biomass gasification projects are being successfully developed in Northern Europe and large-scale circulating fluidized bed (CFB) biomass gasifiers have been commissioned. This work compares different technologies, such as CFB air and oxygen gasification, dual fluidized bed (DFB) steam gasification, and bio-synthetic natural gas (bio-SNG) production, focusing on the use of the product gas in an iron ore pelletizing process located in the Southeast of Brazil. The main parameters evaluated were flame temperature and gaseous flow rates. Economical evaluation was also performed. Air gasification provided a product gas with the lowest energy content but it was the most attractive investment. Oxygen gasification is apparently the best option as it provides a product gas with higher heating value at almost the same cost as air gasification. In both cases changes to the burners would be required. Bio-SNG could be utilized without any adaption in the indurating machine; however, it is still more expensive than NG.

Keywords: Biomass gasification; Bio-synthetic natural gas; Iron ore pelletizing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:81:y:2015:i:c:p:566-577

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2015.03.056

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