Economic Evaluation on Bio-Synthetic Natural Gas Production Integrated in a Thermomechanical Pulp Mill

Wennan Zhang, Jie He, Per Engstrand and Olof Björkqvist
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Wennan Zhang: FSCN—Fibre Science and Communication Network, Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall SE-85170, Sweden
Jie He: FSCN—Fibre Science and Communication Network, Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall SE-85170, Sweden
Per Engstrand: FSCN—Fibre Science and Communication Network, Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall SE-85170, Sweden
Olof Björkqvist: FSCN—Fibre Science and Communication Network, Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall SE-85170, Sweden

Energies, 2015, vol. 8, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: In this study, biorefinery as a concept is applied to thermomechanical pulp (TMP)-based paper production to evaluate the possibility of co-production of synthetic natural gas (SNG), electricity and district heating in addition to mechanical pulp and paper. The combined heat and power plant (CHP) associated to TMP is replaced by a biomass-to-SNG (BtSNG) plant. Implementing BtSNG in a mechanical pulp production line might improve the profitability of a TMP mill and also help to commercialize the BtSNG technology by taking into account of some key issues such as biomass availability, heat utilization, etc. A TMP + BtSNG mathematical model is developed with ASPEN Plus. The model prediction shows that the scale of the TMP + BtSNG mill and SNG price are two strong factors for the implementation of BtSNG in a TMP mill. A BtSNG plant associated to a TMP mill should be built at a scale above 100 MW of biomass thermal input. For the case of Swedish economic condition, commercialization of SNG production as a transport biofuel has not matured yet. Political instruments to support commercialization of transport biofuel are necessary.

Keywords: biomass; gasification; synthetic natural gas (SNG); thermomechanical pulp (TMP); electricity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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