Techno-economic analysis for co-processing fast pyrolysis liquid with vacuum gasoil in FCC units for second-generation biofuel production

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Petrobras have worked closely to develop process models and analysis approaches to assess the economic feasibility of co-processing bio-oils (pyrolysis oils) with fossil feedstocks in petroleum refinery unit operations. Petrobras conducted co-processing experiments with pine-derived bio-oils and Brazilian vacuum gasoil (VGO) at typical operating conditions on their 200 kg/h demonstration-scale fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit. NREL evaluated the experimental yield data and developed novel modeling approaches to simulate and optimize co-processing scenarios. Within the uncertainties of measurements and the simplified refinery models used, the process modeling and techno-economic analysis (TEA) results identify conditions in which co-processing bio-oils could be economically feasible for the case of refiners purchasing VGO, expanding prior work demonstrating technical feasibility. TEA scenarios show a high potential for bio-oil co-processing to be economically attractive for petroleum refiners for benchmark crude oil prices at $70 (U.S. dollars) per barrel using up to 5 wt% bio-oil produced with typical fast pyrolysis technology (<= 400 t/d) fed with dried pine chips. For oil prices per barrel of $55-$60, up to 10 wt% bio-oil could be co-processed profitably if produced in pyrolysis plants performing at an nth-plant level, feeding 2,000 t/d with dried pine chip feedstocks producing bio-oil at $48-$56 per barrel from feedstock ranging from $99-$132 per t ($90-$120 per ton). Alternatively, low-price biomass feedstocks could make bio-oil co-processing viable at lower oil prices in both cases.

Automated summary

NREL and Petrobras collaborated to assess the economic feasibility of co-processing bio-oils with fossil feedstocks in petroleum refinery unit operations. Experimental results showed potential for bio-oil co-processing to be economically attractive for petroleum refiners under certain conditions.