In the news – Raven™

Off To A Flying Start

Julianne Thomas — Mon, 20 May 2024 12:41:24 +0000

As legislation incentivizes sustainable aviation fuel, companies race to produce enough SAF to meet demand.

BY CAROL BRZOZOWSKI | APRIL 2024

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) demand currently exceeds supply, with demand growing in response to increasing domestic and international legislation requiring or incentivizing its use.

After the White House issued a SAF Grand Challenge in 2021, SAF demand increased, explains Matt Murdock, CEO of Raven SR, a Pinedale, Wyoming-based sustainable fuel company. The challenge calls for companies to supply 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030, aiming to reduce aviation emissions by 20 percent and to produce 35 billion gallons to supply 100 percent of expected domestic commercial jet fuel use by 2050.

A SAF production process called HEFA, which involves the conversion of hydrotreated esters and fatty acids, has been an early frontrunner in the ongoing search for the largest and best production process for SAF. However, alcohol to jet (AtJ) is a biofuel technology to watch, says Tad Hepner, vice president of strategy and innovation for the Renewable Fuels Association, Ellisville, Missouri.

“HEFA can get us a ways down the road, but if we’re looking at 35 billion gallons, we have to look at something else that’s already produced at scale,” Hepner says, adding AtJ has a “massive head start” on the renewable carbon intensity score.

Deerfield, Illinois-based LanzaTech and its spinoff company LanzaJet have introduced AtJ to the market. AtJ enables the use of ethanol—including waste-derived ethanol—in aviation fuel production, with up to 90 percent conversion to SAF, says Tom Dower, LanzaTech vice president of public policy.

“These cleaner-burning, lower-carbon-intensity fuels can drive down aviation sector emissions, reduce contrails and clean the air around airports when used at scale, benefiting local communities,” Dower says.

Certified platforms

Netherlands-based SkyNRG—which sources, blends and distributes SAF to airlines worldwide—notes six technology platforms certified to produce SAF for use in commercial aviation:

Fischer-Tropsch—breaks up material containing carbon into individual building blocks in a gas form.
Hydrotreated esters and fatty acids (HEFA)—refines vegetable oils, waste oils or fats through a process that employs hydrogen.
Synthesized iso-paraffins—a biological platform where microbes convert C6 sugars into farnesene, which, after treatment with hydrogen, can be used as SAF.
Alcohol to jet (AtJ)—converts alcohols into SAF by removing the oxygen and linking the molecules together to get the desired carbon chain length. Two feedstocks approved for use in the AtJ technology are ethanol and iso-butanol.
Catalytic hydrothermolysis—converts fatty acid esters and free fatty acids into SAF via catalytic hydrothermolysis followed by any combination of hydrotreatment, hydrocracking or hydroisomerization and fractionation.
Hydroprocessed hydrocarbons, esters and fatty acids (HC-HEFA)—upgrades bio-derived hydrocarbons, free fatty acids and fatty acid esters in that they are hydroprocessed to saturate the hydrocarbon molecules and remove all oxygen. A recognized bio source is the Botryococcus braunii algae species.

Murdock points out that many of these SAF technologies have been established for a while but have become better and more efficient as businesses rise up around their production.

Raven SR’s technology involves a noncombustion thermal chemical reductive process, converting organic waste and landfill gas to hydrogen and synthetic fuels. According to Raven SR, global SAF supply comprises only 0.03 percent of total jet fuel consumption given the limited feedstock supply.

Raven SR recently signed a memorandum of understanding to supply SAF to Japan-based All Nippon Airways (ANA) for major global routes starting in 2025. As part of the agreement, 50,000 tons of SAF will be supplied in the first year, with annual incremental increases to 200,000 tons after 10 years.

The company will produce the supply at its facilities using local green waste and municipal solid waste. It plans to begin commercial SAF production by 2025 in California, expanding production by 200,000 tons per year until 2034 in the U.S. and Europe.

In its infancy

Hepner says the sustainable aviation fuel market is in its infancy.

Some 16 million to 20 million gallons of SAF are produced in the U.S; globally, the number is under 2 billion, he says.

In an effort to meet the federal government’s SAF Grand Challenge, “a lot of the industry is focused on these first 3 billion gallons, and a lot of the SAF produced now is by the HEFA pathway,” Hepner says. The airline industry uses 17 billion to 20 billion gallons of fuel annually, he says. Southwest and American Airlines are two companies signing agreements to purchase SAF when it is produced, with tax credits being one driving factor.

SAF and alternative transportation fuel markets are growing rapidly, says Michael McAdams, president of the Advanced Biofuels Association, Washington. He cites a January reportfrom France-based International Energy Agency predicting global biofuel demand will rise by 38 billion liters between 2023 and 2028. Demand for renewable diesel and SAF are expected to grow the most in advanced economies such as the U.S.

“Other studies show SAF production doubled from 2022 to 2023 and is expected to triple in 2024,” McAdams says, adding that some of the growth is attributed to the sustainable, low- carbon transportation fuels compatible with existing fueling infrastructure for immediate deployment and carbon emissions reduction.

The fuels are poised to play a huge role in powering heavy industrial vehicles that are difficult or impossible to electrify, McAdams adds.

While alternative transportation fuel markets are well-established around the world and heavily geared toward ground transport, SAF markets are in the earliest stages of development, Dower says.

“Aviation, often identified as a ‘hard-to-abate’ sector, is responsible for approximately 2 percent of global GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions today but is expected to rise over the coming decades as air travel becomes affordable for more people in countries around the world,” he adds.

Dower concurs AtJ can play a significant role in meeting growing SAF demand as HEFA becomes less popular.

“In Europe, they’re beginning to realize that half of [what’s needed to produce HEFA] comes from vegetable crops, food crops, animal crops and is also not a green solution, going into competition with food security and issues like that,” he says.

Incentivizing SAF

Government policies have been a key driver for renewable and sustainable fuel production, expanding into SAF, Dower explains.

Examples include renewable fuel standard mandates, federal tax credits, government grants, loans and loan guarantees.

The European Parliament established a timeline obliging EU airports and fuel suppliers to ensure at least 2 percent of aviation fuels will be green in 2025, increasing each year to 70 percent in 2050.

“Europeans have put a stick down—if you don’t fly with the actual molecule, there will be penalties on the airlines,” Murdock says. “On the American side, they are actually providing carrots. If you do, there are credits available.”

Following the SAF Grand Challenge, Congress created a new SAF tax credit within the Inflation Reduction Act, providing a carbon intensity-based incentive for SAF that is at least 50 percent cleaner than petroleum-based jet fuel. Congress also provided more than $244 million in SAF-related grants through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration.

Hepner says while other countries are putting their own SAF programs into place, it remains to be seen how they will work together. He says one key statutory program governing SAF is the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), updated by the Environmental Protection Agency last June for 2023 to 2025. The RFS establishes requirements for volumes of biofuels—including advanced biofuels—to be blended into the U.S. transportation fuel supply.

McAdams says another piece of legislation to watch is the upcoming Farm Bill, passed every five years to authorize programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

He expects to see provisions under consideration supporting the SAF sector, including increasing eligibility for SAF in existing USDA programs, developing more feedstock resources for SAF production and standardizing further adoption of the Argonne National Lab’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy Use in the Technologies (GREET) model used by many federal agencies to quantify emissions reductions.

“I’m a big believer that waste-to-fuels is going to probably be one of the best solutions out there because waste is everywhere, whether it be biomass or other organic wastes,” Murdock says. “It really provides a very close-to-home solution. …When you get rid of waste and create clean fuels at the same time, you are solving two problems at once.

“The waste management companies of the world can be a player in this and can say ‘We’re going to help contribute to cleaning up the environment’ at the same time,” he adds.

The author is a freelance journalist based in Venice, Florida, who wrote this article on behalf of Waste Today. She can be reached at brzozowski.carol@gmail.com.

https://www.wastetodaymagazine.com/article/companies-race-to-meet-demand-for-sustainable-aviation-fuel/

Grown-Up Talk about Blue Hydrogen

Julianne Thomas — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 18:43:39 +0000

Grown-Up Talk about Blue Hydrogen

January 29, 2024 | Jim Lane

By Terry Mazanec, Ph.D., Lee Enterprises Consulting
Special to The Digest

The late Sir John Cadogan, renowned organic chemist and Welsh Member of Academia Europaea, was the first person whom I heard exclaim that we were on a path towards the ‘hydrogen economy.’ It was 1986, and my company, SOHIO (The Standard Oil Company (Ohio)), was just about to merge with British Petroleum (BP), where Cadogan was the worldwide Director of Research. Sir John presented the goals and plans for the combined BP and SOHIO research organizations to the assembled R&D staff of SOHIO. The hydrogen economy, he assured us, was not far in the future, but within reach ‘in a few short years.’ This was music to my ears since I was deeply involved in research on hydrogen production technologies. Some 37 years later, the hydrogen economy may actually be within reach ‘in a few short years.’

What constitutes the hydrogen economy? According to most analysts, the hydrogen economy is “an economy that relies on hydrogen as the commercial fuel that would deliver a substantial fraction of a nation’s energy and services.”[1] That sounds straightforward, but there are numerous routes by which hydrogen can deliver energy. Some paths involve producing hydrogen and using it directly as fuel in a combustion engine or fuel cell. Other paths make derivatives from hydrogen that are used as fuels. Current hydrogen production would provide only 2.3% of the world’s energy requirements so an 8X increase in production would be needed to reach 20%.

Routes to Hydrogen Economy

Underlying all the paths to a hydrogen economy are processes for producing hydrogen. Hydrogen, although colorless, has come to be referred to as a particular ‘color’ of hydrogen that depends on the process used to produce it. Colors are assigned based on the feedstock and ‘carbon intensity’ (“CI”) of the production process, i.e. how much CO2 is emitted per kg of hydrogen produced. A sophisticated model, called GREET[2], developed at Argonne Labs, is used to calculate CI. GREET combines numerous measured properties and process features along with user-designated assumptions to provide a CI value for a particular pathway.

The oldest and most widely used hydrogen production methods start with fossil fuels coal or natural gas, and are labeled as black or grey, since they are considered the least environmentally friendly and have high CI values. (CI is scored like golf; low scores are better) At the other end of the hydrogen spectrum are those processes that rely on renewable energy and involve no carbon directly such as electrolysis of water using electricity from wind, solar, or hydroelectric generation, which are considered green. Those processes produce hydrogen with very low CI scores. In between are numerous variations and combinations that include those that use biomass as feed, nuclear energy, biological processes, or integrate any process with carbon capture and storage (“CCS”) to reduce CI. There are even processes that have negative CI scores, i.e. their net effect is to remove CO2 from the environment. So-called blue hydrogen is hydrogen produced from natural gas using conventional steam methane reforming (“SMR”) with the capture of CO2 for storage.

Figure 1. The Hydrogen Color Spectrum from Global Energy Infrastructure.[3] The spectrum is arranged such that processes with high CI scores are at the bottom and processes with low CI scores are at the top. Low CI scores correspond to lower emissions of CO2.

Impact of Blue Hydrogen

Natural gas continues to replace coal in power plants as a more environmentally friendly substitute due to its lower CI, fewer contaminants, and much less ash. Burning natural gas emits almost 45 percent less carbon dioxide than does burning coal while producing the same amount of energy. Coal combustion typically produces 5-15% by weight ash as well while natural gas combustion produces only miniscule amounts of ash. From 2005 to 2019, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration[4], coal use declined from 50% to 23% of the fuel used for electricity generation. As a result, CO2 emissions in the US declined by 13% from 2005 to 2019 and 65 percent of the reduction in CO2 emissions is attributed to the replacement of coal with natural gas to generate electricity.

Carbon capture technologies were developed to remove CO2 from chemical process streams and power plant flue gas. Most of these processes react the CO2 in the flue gas with an absorbent and collect it for storage or other uses. For coal gasification, CCS reduces the CO2 emissions from 287 to 105 gCO2/MJ.[5] SMR for hydrogen production generates less CO2 than coal gasification at 76 gCO2/MJ and integrating a CCS unit with SMR to produce blue hydrogen reduces the CO2 emissions from the plant further to 40 gCO2/MJ emitted, although some argue that greatly increased methane emissions offset most of the gain from CCS.[6]

There is no free lunch, however, as the additional CCS processing reduces the overall process efficiency of an integrated combined cycle natural gas-powered plant by about 5 points, from 43% to 38%.[7] A blue hydrogen installation that replaces a conventional coal-fired plant with a gas-fired SMR + CCS plant could reduce the CO2 emissions produced by as much as 86%. Where low emissions electricity is available to produce oxygen, the use of autothermal reforming (ATR) can reduce CO2 emissions even further since the higher concentration of CO2 in the flue gas makes CO2 capture more efficient.

Carbon Capture – Key to Blue Hydrogen

Blue hydrogen relies on carbon capture and storage technology. There are currently 41 operational CCS facilities worldwide, seven of which make blue hydrogen for ammonia used in fertilizer production. CCS has been operational with a capacity to recover about 64 Mtpa of CO2, with 80% of that recovered from natural gas at the wellhead and used for enhanced oil recovery.[8]

In a typical SMR plant there are 3 process streams from which CO2 could be captured as shown in Figure 2: A) from the shifted syngas, B) from the pressure swing adsorption retentate, or C) from the reformer flue gas.

Figure 2. Options for Capturing CO2 from a Steam Methane Reforming Process.

There are several means of capturing CO2. The most common is chemical absorption using a solvent (MDEA, methyldiethanolamine) that reversibly binds the CO2 that can be released later by heating. Another is cryogenic separation in which the gas mixture is cooled until it liquefies and then distilled into separate components. According to a 2017 IEA report[9], CO2 capture processes increase the capital cost by 18 to 79% while capturing 56-90% of the CO2. Vendors offer systems that can capture as much as 99% of the CO2 contained in a PSA retentate or shift product stream, although about 40% of the CO2 generated in the process would still be emitted in the flue gas.

A conventional SMR facility generates a significant amount of electricity from the steam produced, and any CCS installation reduces electricity production by at least 80%. This reduces revenue and increases net OPEX (operating expenses) which range from 17 to 33% higher with CCS than with SMR alone. A significant advantage of the cryogenic separation process is its insensitivity to the cost of natural gas.[10] With US natural gas prices ranging from $1.50 to $9.30 per MMBTU over the past 5 years, this is a very attractive feature although it is partially offset by a small requirement to import electricity; the trade-off between natural gas and electricity costs can be pivotal for investors. The major industrial gas companies, in particular, seem to favor cryogenic capture as it takes advantage of their expertise in cryogenic distillation used for air separation.

In 2005, the IPCC reported that adding CCS to an existing natural gas facility increases electricity generation costs by 37% to 69%[11], although for a new integrated combined cycle plant the differential could be about half as much. More recently, George et al estimated that adding CCS to make a hydrogen plant blue increases capital costs by about 75%.[12]

Is Blue Hydrogen Viable?

Considerable controversy exists over the role of blue hydrogen in the drive to reduce CO2 emissions. Since blue hydrogen relies on two inputs that are typically non-renewable, i.e. natural gas and electricity, some consider it ‘only a modest improvement’ on current practices. These critics dismiss blue hydrogen as a ‘half-measure’ and are anxious to go for the complete transition to green, possibly zero emissions, hydrogen.

Electrolysis of water is a very popular competitor in the hydrogen production sphere since it is seen as emitting no CO2. However, even those who are dedicated to seeing the hydrogen economy take shape are becoming more circumspect as more is learned about the technical and economic hurdles. The Hydrogen Council, for example, reports in its November 2023 summary that “Estimates of the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) for renewable hydrogen are between 30 and 65 percent higher than those in the October 2022 report.”[13] Nevertheless, in the December 2023 “Hydrogen Insights 2023” the Hydrogen Council projects a 50% drop in the cost of H2 by electrolysis in the next 7 years, and a further 50% cost reduction by 2050.[14] Technology developers will have a hard time living up to that projection.

The emissions benefits of water electrolysis are being called into question as well. A 2018 report from Delft noted that “the CO2 footprint of blue hydrogen (0.82-1.12 kgCO2 eq / kg H2, [24.6-33.6 kgCO2/MWh]) is comparable with hydrogen produced via electrolysis with renewable electricity sources (0.92-1.13 kg CO2 eq./kg H2, [27.6-33.9 kgCO2/MWh]).”[15]

Realism

In 2022 blue hydrogen accounted for only 0.7% of hydrogen produced worldwide while water electrolysis accounted for just 0.03%.[16] These are not the only candidate technologies for the transition to the hydrogen economy since a variety of other potentially low emissions hydrogen technologies are under development.

Of particular note, is the two-step process being advanced by Raven SR. The Raven process first steam reforms any mixture that contains hydrocarbons – MSW, biomass, food waste, plastics – in a rotating kiln, followed by a higher temperature SMR-type reforming step to produce syngas that is readily shifted to hydrogen. The rotating kiln can accommodate solids and separates the unreactive contaminants like glass, metal, and minerals from the useful hydrocarbons in the process, making it applicable to a wide range of situations and feeds.[17] With green electricity and renewable feeds such as wood waste the process is fully renewable.

With a long history in coal upgrading, gasification holds promise that it can be adapted successfully to waste feeds like MSW or biomass to produce renewable, low-CO2 hydrogen. There are 3 competing gasification schemes. The staged fixed bed gasifier is a pressurized steam/oxygen blown gasification process suitable for the smallest size range. The dual fluidized bed steam-only gasification process (technically a steam reforming process) is operated at atmospheric pressure and is most suitable for intermediate size applications, especially for the production of hydrogen or FT hydrocarbons. It has the advantage that for syngas utilization processes which can handle 15-20% inert gases (e.g. power generation), pure oxygen is not needed, which allows the use of air in the reformer. For the largest applications, pressurized steam/oxygen gasification in a circulating fluidized bed gasifier is preferred. Either adding a CCS process or a CO2 getter like CaO to the gasification process sharply reduces CO2.

In China, it appears that the choice for hydrogen production has been made – coal gasification with CCS. In numerous publications their scientists report calculations that show the CO2 production rates for coal + CCS are similar to electrolysis. Li et al.[18], for example, write: “the carbon footprint of coal to hydrogen is reduced by 52.34%–74.59% to 4.92–10.90 CO2eq/kg H2 after installing CCS technology, which is close to that of solar electricity-based hydrogen production,” and concludes “therefore, China should promote the development of coal to hydrogen with CCS to meet the growing demand for hydrogen, at least before there is a breakthrough in hydrogen production from renewable electricity.” Fan et al.[19] calculate that “hydrogen production via renewable energy-based water electrolysis has no cost advantage in most regions, but wind power-based electrolysis in Gansu and photovoltaic power-based electrolysis in Chongqing have the potential to compete with the C2HCCS [coal + CCS] process”. Coal now supplies 69% of China’s electricity and is adding a new coal plant almost every week. To date the implementation of CCS has lagged far behind the buildout of coal plants.

Plasma gasification is another competitor. Electrically heated furnaces, combustion flames, and electric discharges have been considered for high temperature plasma generation. The very high temperatures available in plasma systems (~ 3000 °C) are attractive because they decompose the gas into atoms that recombine to a high H2 content syngas. However, the cost of energy, the requirement for expensive materials, and the difficulty in controlling the gas cooling have severely limited applications to hydrogen production. Tacking on an additional CCS unit would merely drive up costs.

Methane pyrolysis is being advanced as a hydrogen source. The temperatures of methane pyrolysis are typically about 1000-1100°C due to the stability of methane; catalysts reduce the required temperatures to the 500-900 °C range. During the reaction, each mole of methane splits into two molecules of hydrogen and one atom of carbon. When compared to steam methane reforming, pyrolysis of methane produces only half as much hydrogen per CH4. However, the energy input for methane pyrolysis (37 MJ/kg H2) is less than that of SMR followed by water gas shift (82 MJ/kg H2).[20]

CH4 => C + 2 H2

One advantage of methane pyrolysis over other methane or natural gas hydrogen production technologies is the production of solid carbon instead of CO2. The lack of CO2 emissions makes methane pyrolysis a cleaner and more attractive hydrogen production pathway. Solid carbon can be a valuable product in its own right or could be steamed to generate CO and additional H2. The drawback is that in addition to H2, pyrolysis makes a complex byproduct mixture of hydrocarbons including some tars that present operational issues. If pyrolysis uses a renewable methane source such as biogas, it could be one of the ‘greener’ alternatives.

Prospectus

Blue hydrogen stands out from its competitors in many ways. Most significantly, it is here, now, and available as a very valuable tool by which to reduce CO2 emissions. It combines known technologies that have long track records of commercial success at massive scale. Industrial concerns are starting to get seriously involved.

Exxon recently announced an ambitious plan to produce “up to 1 billion cubic feet per day of [blue] hydrogen from natural gas and expect over 98% of the associated CO2 to be captured and safely stored underground.” The blue hydrogen “site would be the largest low-carbon hydrogen project in the world at planned startup in 2027-2028.”[21]About 7 million tons of CO2 per year will be captured using Honeywell UOP’s CO2 fractionation and hydrogen purification system.

German energy provider, Onyx Power, announced plans to build a 300 kta blue hydrogen plant in the Port of Rotterdam. The plan includes SMR for hydrogen production, CCS, and storage of the CO2 in depleted offshore gas fields, potentially saving up to 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

This plant will join Shell’s planned electrolyzer plant being built in the Port of Rotterdam[22] to make Rotterdam a hub for both renewable hydrogen and CO2 sequestration. The green hydrogen plant will use power from the Hollandse Kust Noord wind farm and is expected to come on-line in 2025. It will have a 200 MW electrolyzer and produce over 20 ktpa of renewable hydrogen.

Shell and Onyx are part of Dutch consortium ‘H-vision’ that together with The Port of Rotterdam, Royal Vopak, ExxonMobil, Air Liquide, and Deltalinqs represent the entire hydrogen chain – from producers to end users.

The Great Plains Synfuels Plant that has been gasifying coal to hydrogen for ammonia production and collecting CO2 for enhanced oil recovery, is being converted to a natural gas fed blue hydrogen facility and re-branded as the “Great Plains Hydrogen Hub.” Originally built in 1984, it will produce 348,000 tons/yr of blue hydrogen when it becomes commercially operational in 2027, and “the cost of production will be the lowest in the country.”[23] The $2 bn revision of the plant will utilize ATR and CCS to sequester 3 Mtpa of CO2.

Not every project is going forward as planned, however. Calgary-based Nauticol scrubbed their planned $4 bn blue methanol facility that was expected to include blue hydrogen and CCS.[24] A smaller plant is being discussed.

While all of this activity shows that blue hydrogen and its derivatives are beginning to be actualized, there are some targets that hold even more promise. Methane is about 25x more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas (GHG). Despite efforts to reduce gas flaring, it still accounts for about 150 billion cubic meters of CO2 globally each year, just a bit less than that produced by agriculture. If this methane could be recovered and converted to blue hydrogen the impact on CO2 emissions would be enormous.

If we embrace blue hydrogen as a logical, practical stepping-stone on the path to a zero CO2 future, maybe Professor Sir John Cadogan’s vision of the hydrogen economy will arrive ‘in a few short years.

About the Author

Dr. Mazanec has been involved in the conversion of methane to hydrogen, fuels, and chemicals for much of his 43 years in the industry. During twenty-one years at SOHIO/BP he invented the Oxygen Transport Membrane process for the in-situ separation of oxygen from air for the production of syngas from natural gas and led an international industrial technical team to develop and scale up the process. He served 9 years as Chief Scientist at Velocys, leading the team developing microchannel processes for natural gas upgrading via steam reforming and FT conversion. Since 2011 Terry has been an independent consultant assisting companies ranging from startups like Anellotech, where he was interim CTO, to global energy and chemicals organizations. Dr. Mazanec has been a Subject Matter Expert at LEC since 2015 and currently serves as a Managing Director. He has authored 20 refereed publications and has been granted more than 75 US Patents as well as numerous international patents. Terry earned a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from The Ohio State University under the direction of Prof. Devon Meek and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

About Lee Enterprises Consulting (LEC)

LEC has over 180 experts that can help navigate your bioeconomy needs. If you need assistance with your Hydrogen project(s), please Contact Us.

[1] Nehrir, M. H., Wang, C., “Fuel Cells”, in “Electric Renewable Energy Systems”, Academic Press, 2016 92-113, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128044483000062 .

[2] GREET stands for Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation, https://www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/articles/greet-greenhouse-gases-regulated-emissions-and-energy-use-transportation .

[3] https://globalenergyinfrastructure.com/articles/2021/03-march/hydrogen-data-telling-a-story/

[4] EIA; https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48296

[5] The Hydrogen Council, “Hydrogen decarbonization pathways – A life-cycle assessment,” January 2021, https://hydrogencouncil.com/en/hydrogen-decarbonization-pathways/

[6] Howarth, RW, Jacobson, MZ, “How Green is Blue Hydrogen?” Energy Sci Eng, 2021, 1676-1687.

[7] Hendriks, C.A., Blok, K., Turkenburg, W.C. (1989). “The Recovery of Carbon Dioxide from Power Plants.” In: Okken, P.A., Swart, R.J., Zwerver, S. (eds) Climate and Energy: The Feasibility of Controlling CO2 Emissions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0485-9_9 .

[8] Global CCS Institute, “Global Status of CCS 2023,” https://status23.globalccsinstitute.com/ .

[9] IEA Tech Report 2017-02, “Techno – Economic Evaluation of SMR Based Standalone (Merchant) Hydrogen Plant with CCS,” https://ieaghg.org/component/content/article/49-publications/technical-reports/784-2017-02-smr-based-h2-plant-with-ccs

[10] Ibid.

[11] IPCC Chapter 3,”IPCC Special Report on Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage,” https://www.ipcc.ch/report/carbon-dioxide-capture-and-storage/capture-of-co2/

[12] George, J. F., “Is blue hydrogen a bridging technology?,” Energy Policy 167 (2022), 113072.

[13] The Hydrogen Council, “Global Hydrogen Flows – 2023 Update – Considerations for evolving global hydrogen trade,” November 2023, https://hydrogencouncil.com/en/global-hydrogen-flows-2023-update/

[14] The Hydrogen Council, “Hydrogen Insights 2023 December Update,” https://hydrogencouncil.com/en/hydrogen-insights-2023-december-update/

[15] Delft, CE Delft, “Feasibility study into blue hydrogen – Technical, economic & sustainability analysis,” https://cedelft.eu/publications/feasibility-study-into-blue-hydrogen/

[16] George, J. F., et al,. op cit.

[17] https://ravensr.com/

[18] Li, et al, “The carbon footprint and cost of coal-based hydrogen production with and without carbon capture and storage technology in China,” J Cleaner Production, 362, 2022, 132514; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132514 .

[19] Fan et al, “A levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) comparison of coal-to-hydrogen with CCS and water electrolysis powered by renewable energy in China,” Energy 242, 2022, 123003; . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.123003 .

[20] Korányi, Tamás I., et al. “Recent Advances in Methane Pyrolysis: Turquoise Hydrogen with Solid Carbon Production.” Energies 15.17 (2022): 6342.

[21] Exxon website, 30-Jan-2023, “Low-carbon hydrogen: Fueling our Baytown facilities and our net-zero ambition,” https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/news/viewpoints/low-carbon-hydrogen

[22] Shell website, “Shell to start building Europe’s largest renewable hydrogen plant”, 7-Jul-2022, https://www.shell.com/media/news-and-media-releases/2022/shell-to-start-building-europes-largest-renewable-hydrogen-plant.html

[23] MHA Nation Partnering with Bakken Energy and Mitsubishi Power on Great Plains Hydrogen Hub, February 9, 2022, https://www.bakkenenergy.com/mha-nation-partnering-with-bakken-energy-and-mitsubishi-power-on-great-plains-hydrogen-hub/ .

[24] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/calgary-energy-firm-backs-away-from-proposed-4b-northern-alberta-methanol-plant-1.6739176

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Alternative energy company aims to turn landfill fumes into fuel

Cannings Purple — Wed, 24 May 2023 23:19:57 +0000

CONTRA COSTA – With California pushing to end the use of fossil fuels, a company based in Wyoming is bringing alternative fuel technology to the Bay Area that could help. And it all starts at the landfill.

When the trucks rumble into the West Contra Costa Landfill in Richmond these days, they’re carrying more than just refuse. They may be carrying the promise of a real alternative to fossil fuels.

“I think when we are up and running and doing what we said we could do, people are going to be pretty proud that it was Richmond, California that was the first city,” said Matt Murdock, Founder and CEO of a company called Raven SR.

In the near future, the company hopes to set up shop in a 2-acre yard at the landfill. When Raven’s equipment is in place, it will begin processing organic material–tree cuttings, yard waste and food scraps into clean burning transportation fuels.

“We can make diesel. We can make jet fuel–we can make sustainable aviation fuel. We can do hydrogen. We can do methanol. We can do ammonia. So, we can go into a lot of different pathways depending on what’s needed in the market,” said Murdock.

It’s a patented, innovative process called “Steam/CO2 Reforming.” The organic waste is shredded and heated with steam to a point where its molecules break down but never actually burn. That releases energy that can be converted to electricity and the remaining atoms can be reformed into other synthetic gasses, like hydrogen–which is one of the cleanest burning fuel alternatives on the market today.

“We essentially break down the molecules into the component parts and then rebuild it into a syn(thetic) gas,” said Murdock.

The company estimates that it can produce up to 2,000 metric tons of hydrogen annually. And it’s hard to find any downside to the project. Power to run the plant can come from the methane gas being vented from the landfill, cutting as much as 7,200 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from the site each year. And because there is no burning, it will actually make the surrounding air cleaner.

“Overall, when we did the health risk assessment for our CEQA permitting, we actually lowered the risk of cancer up to 6,000 feet away,” Murdock said.

For a city that often has a contentious attitude toward industrial projects, the response from climate activists has been uncharacteristically positive. Julie Levin, a former CA Energy Commissioner, gave an enthusiastic endorsement to the Richmond City Council.

“I have worked on clean energy and air quality and climate change since the 1990’s. I’m an old-timer,” said Levin. “I have yet to see a project I think is as important for the local community, as well as the global climate, as Raven Energy’s project.”

Last week, city leaders voted unanimously to move the project forward and now the eyes of the country–and the world–will be on Raven SR to see if they can deliver on the promise.

“Yeah, we have a lot of people that cannot wait to come and visit the plant and play with it, throw trash in and watch it become hydrogen,” said Murdock. “And so, yeah, there’s a LOT of people watching us.”

The project is now seeking approval from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. But the equipment is modular, so it is already being constructed offsite and Murdock says they could be operating as soon as the spring of 2024.

They say great things come from modest beginnings. But who would have thought that the future of modern transportation may find its beginning at the Richmond dump?

First published by CBS News by John Ramos

ANA strikes SAF pact with Itochu and Raven SR

Cannings Purple — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 05:14:50 +0000

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan’s Itochu Corporation and US firm Raven SR for the long-term procurement of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Raven SR has a proprietary process to convert various types of waste into renewable hydrogen and clean fuels, says ANA.

Raven SR will commence commercial hydrogen production in the first quarter of 2024, and in 2025 it will start producing SAF in California. The company aims to produce 200,000t of SAF annually by 2034, with facilities planned for “major global markets in the US and Europe.”

Itochu is also involved in sustainable fuel activities: in November 2022 it signed an agreement with Japan Airlines (JAL) to supply SAF produced by Neste for a special charter flight and is in discussions with the same carrier about future supply needs.

“As part of our climate transition strategies, ANA is dedicated to being an industry leader with our environmental commitments,” says the carrier’s executive Hideo Miyake.

“This announcement with Itochu and Raven SR will be of great importance and support our mid- and long-term carbon reduction goal. We look forward to collaboratively working together on this important business imperative of being environmentally conscious and developing local solutions that are beneficial to reducing our carbon footprint.”

It is not clear how much of Raven SR’s global SAF production will be earmarked for ANA, which aims to replace 10% of its aviation fuel with SAF by its 2030 financial year, and be carbon neutral by its 2050 financial year.

First published on FlightGlobal by Greg Waldron

Water intensity is tantamount to carbon intensity for climate-friendly fuels

Julianne Thomas — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 00:25:26 +0000

Future of Hydrogen Energy

– Matt Murdock

Any serious undertaking to combat climate change requires fuel production with a negative carbon intensity, but an often-overlooked consideration is water usage. Traditional energy production requires extensive water usage. Power plant cooling systems and hydraulic fracturing can use reclaimed or recycled water.

However, what about new energy generated with water? Much of the attention on renewable hydrogen (H2) focuses on electrolyzers that use electricity generated from solar and/or wind power to split water molecules into H2 and oxygen. The term green H2 has become synonymous with the electrolyzer process. Green H2 sourced from renewable power is touted as being free of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, is an energy source truly sustainable if it entails a heavy water usage footprint?

According to “The Water Planetary Boundary: Interrogation and Revision,” we use nearly 70% (2,800 km3) of the planetary boundary of 4,000 km3/yr of freshwater consumption.1 Furthermore, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that total water demand for H2 could equate to 12% of the energy sector’s water consumption. In addition, the IEA’s 2021 Global Hydrogen Review2 found that to use seawater instead of fresh water, the cost of desalination must come down, or researchers must find a way to process seawater without corroding equipment.2 In short, using more water—a limited vital life-sustaining resource—to produce energy is suboptimal.

Nonetheless, electrolysis is being widely pursued for green H2 production, which seems oxymoronic when considering its source of H2 feedstock. To avoid using fresh water, another option being pursued is utilizing wastewater. That, of course, will require a water purification process, adding a significant step.

What if solid or gaseous waste was directly used as a feedstock instead of renewable power and water to support H2 production? This could be solid municipal waste filling landfills, green/food waste that generates methane (CH4) or fugitive CH4 emissions waste from conventional oil and natural gas operations.

The term waste-to-energy often connotes incineration, which only adds to the GHG and criteria pollutants’ emissions problem that needs many forms of abatement, such as direct air capture technologies being pursued by many companies. There are more convenient, shovel-ready ways to tackle waste. For instance, some waste management companies are already expanding their renewable natural gas production, which entails capturing CH4 with wells embedded into completed sections of landfills.

There is no single CH4 abatement and capture solution, and the widespread need for containment requires an all-hands-on-deck response. The author’s company has a modular, non-combustion steam/CO2 reforming system that processes CH4 into H2-rich syngas (~60%), which can be upgraded into transportation grade H2, sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel or methanol. No added water is needed; it can process multiple feedstocks at once, without separation, with a moisture content of 30%–55%.

A simple way to visualize this is with a simple takeout food container. The organic material in leftovers, paper-based and plastic food containers can be left together, dumped in a landfill and then converted to produce a negative carbon intensity fuel. The process is emissions free, as well as the clean H2 it produces. Alternatively, higher energy, lower emissions synthetic fuels can be produced this way, as well.

This presents a solution to a global problem, too. The World Bank estimates that urban populations generate more than 2.2 Btpy of solid waste, and projected population growth would bring that figure to 3.88 Btpy in 2050. That is a lot of feedstock for non-combustion steam/CO2 reforming to produce clean energy where the waste is generated.3

The author’s company intends to install its gas-to-gas technology in the spring of 2023 in California; this technology can produce 4,500 kg of H2/d from renewable or natural gas. It can utilize stranded, flared, low CH4 landfill gas or otherwise unmonetized gas to create affordable H2 efficiently.

In addition, the company recently trialed its full-scale second-stage equilibrium steam/CO2 reformer at its California manufacturing facility, demonstrating methane conversion to transportation-grade H2 at a rate exceeding other commercially available technologies, such as steam methane reforming.

The Fischer-Tropsch method for synthetic fuels is well-established with coal, but instead of mining for resources, the author’s company applies the process to garbage and other waste streams to produce diesel, Jet A, Jet B and military-specified JP-8 aviation fuels from waste. Fischer-Tropsch creates fuels out of H2 and carbon, as opposed to conventional fuels refined from existing hydrocarbons. In other words, Fischer-Tropsch synthetic fuels are combined instead of taken apart. As a result, these synthetic fuels are higher purity and burn cleaner. Unlike biofuels that depend on food crops, synthetic fuels based on waste provide the dual benefit needed to improve the environment.

The steam/CO2 reforming process converts 100% of waste. In addition, about 15% of feedstock is converted into a solid bio-carbon, which can potentially be sold as a soil amendment.

The urgency around climate action calls for solutions to the so-called energy trilemma: securing supply to meet the demand that is affordable and sustainable. The energy transition will cost money as capital is needed to build out renewable infrastructure, and higher costs will place a heavier energy burden on low-to-moderate income earners. That is why finding the most cost-effective ways to meet the growing demand for clean energy is crucial.

The beauty of using waste for energy is that it is plentiful, renewable and relatively inexpensive. No additional energy is needed to produce the energy, and no water needs to be added to the process.

Waste is ubiquitous, so H2 production from waste can be handled locally, near or adjacent to demand, be it for transportation, power generation or industrial usage. This way, waste-to-H2 also eliminates the need for long-distance H2 pipelines or waterborne ammonia tankers to carry H2 to markets, and that cuts out the need for expensive infrastructure buildout.

The old adage of thinking globally and acting locally remains true. Waste-to-energy creates local fuel from local waste. By shortening fuel supply chains, efficiencies are gained and decarbonization deepens. This raises the prospect of reducing dependencies on fuels shipped among regions and eliminates the need for new investments to build and maintain pipelines. The local waste-to-local fuel dynamic offers the possibilities of more affordable, sustainable and secure energy.

An economy-wide energy transition is not happening overnight, and some nascent technologies are far from commercialization. As the world seeks sustainable solutions to the climate crisis, industry must recognize that the need for energy with a negative water intensity is as crucial as the need for energy that has a negative carbon intensity.

Article originally shared on H2 Tech.

Watlow® Helps Raven SR Bring the Dream of Green Energy, with the Help of Industry 4.0

Julianne Thomas — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 02:09:31 +0000

Raven SR is a clean fuels company that transforms waste into usable fuels. To do this, the company uses a process that requires high temperatures and precise control to maintain efficiency and, hence, cost-effectiveness. Watlow® provided extensive expertise in thermal system design, as well as Industry 4.0 control, in the development of this process. With Watlow’s help, Raven SR is well on its way to becoming a game-changing company offering technology that can help save the environment and boost energy independence.

About Raven SR

Raven SR is a clean fuels company that transforms waste—think municipal solid waste, organic waste and methane—into high-quality, clean hydrogen and synthetic fuels. These synthetic fuels are Fischer-Tropsch synthetic fuels, meaning they are the result of a gas-to-liquid polymerization technique that converts carbon monoxide and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbon fuels that can act as substitutes for petroleum products.

At the heart of Raven SR’s processes is a steam/CO2 reforming process that changes mixed feedstock and organic waste (biogenics, plastics and/or methane) into products in an environmentally-friendly way, without the need for combustion. Thus, there are no emissions—just clean hydrogen and fuels as output.

The work done by Raven SR is a crucial step in achieving clean energy and overall energy independence. Not only does their process create fuel from waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill, but its products can be created locally and delivered directly to gas stations in the region without the need for long-distance transportation or pipelines. Thus, its implementation can provide a path forward for sustainable energy security and independence at the local level.

The Challenge

Although combustion is not used as part of Raven SR’s technology, precise thermal control does play a huge part in driving an efficient and safe process.
There is already a clear and well-established connection between the operational targets that Raven SR is putting forward and the thermal content of the system. At higher temperatures, it is possible to achieve 99.9999% target output, a level of efficiency that makes the process cost effective as well.

Achieving the high temperature needed requires running heaters at their maximum capacity for extended periods of time. Those heaters are difficult to replace if something goes wrong. Thus, not only is precise control of temperature needed, but the system as a whole needs to be monitored for any signs of a problem, or for indications of degraded performance, well before any particular heater reaches a critical level of degradation.

Watlow’s Role

Watlow brings 100 years of thermal engineering expertise to bear on the problems and challenges we are presented with. We were proud to provide such expertise early on in Raven SR’s design phase, helping them to design thermal systems from the ground up.

Together, the thermal system and controls included:

Zoned high-temperature MULTICELLTM heating elements: The full thermal system provides an extraordinary range of temperature control. The proprietary design, consisting of MULTICELLTM heaters with integrated sensors, provides a “thoughtful” zoning and control approach, delivering precise control within the three dimensions of the reactor.

Sensors: Sensor inputs come from a number of thermocouples provided by Watlow. We were also able to connect the system to other sensors for gas composition, flow and pressure in order to get a more complete picture.

WATCONNECT® control panels: The control panels, utilizing Watlow temperature and power controllers, monitor all thermal/ electrical characteristics to ensure proper process stability for the application.

Connected architecture: The IoT “box” is at the heart of the system and includes hardware for connectivity, syncing data from eight F4T® controllers with control loops across four C5 WATCONNECT® panels. It also has inputs from the other sensors listed above. Connectivity to the cloud via a cellular router allows further routing of data to other applications and devices, while a 15-inch human machine interface (HMI) screen displays the total state of the system at any time using our custom-designed dashboard. These features allow for near real-time data logging and monitoring of system output.

A Real-World, Transformative Example of an Industry 4.0 Application

This particular project is also a great example of an Industry 4.0 project. Industry 4.0 represents the ongoing automation of traditional industrial processes using advanced sensors, controllers and “smart” technology. This involves, at minimum, a physical layer of interconnected devices, often dubbed IoT, but advanced cases also utilize a simulation layer that models and predicts the behavior of a system as it unfolds over time (what is sometimes dubbed a “digital twin” of the system).

The sensors, controllers and connectors lay the groundwork for such a system, an important function of which provides a foundation for predictive and diagnostic analytics. One of the chief principles of Industry 4.0 systems is to gather granular data for better system operation while avoiding unnecessary maintenance cycles.

For example, if a system can be monitored and studied in real- time, it is possible to look for the telltale signs of, say, a part failure, well before it occurs, allowing engineers to proactively fix or replace the part. Over time, such data can also be used to better understand system wear and part longevity, allowing engineers to have better insight into maintenance cycles and system inefficiencies, thus prolonging system lifespan.

Watlow’s sensors, control architecture and dashboard all work together to allow Raven SR’s engineers to capture data and use it proactively to keep system efficiency and uptime as high as possible.

Demonstrating Future Impact

A demonstration run for Raven’s SR2 unit at the Benicia Fabrication & Machine plant in Benicia, California, was conducted in September 2022. This was the first connected Raven SR system in the field. For this demonstration, Watlow took advantage of the fact that the IoT controller had a cellular connection to the cloud, creating a mobile website that visitors could use to monitor a “mini-dashboard,” which showed what the system was doing in real-time. The demonstration ran as intended and showcased what the process would be capable of at full scale.

Assuming that SR facilities can be run at full capacity and deliver the same efficiency, what exactly would this mean for the future of this technology at scale?

First, it would represent a shift to more eco-friendly fuels. Hydrogen itself is a clean-burning fuel that does not create any greenhouse gases, save for water vapor. Fuels cells using hydrogen have undergone rapid development in recent years, and such fuels cells are providing an alternative to combustion engines on vehicles. Indeed, some researchers estimate that a hydrogen-based fuel cell could be two- to three-times more efficient than an internal combustion engine running on gasoline. Globally, the market for hydrogen fuel cells reached $6.6 billion in 2021, and is expected to grow to $19.5 billion by 2027, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.0%.

Second, for those cases where hydrocarbon fuels are still needed, SR facilities represent a way to create those fuels cleanly, and in just the right amounts needed instead of relying on the refinement and shipment of existing fossil fuels in the ground. Hydrogen and synthetic fuels could be created in the U.S. and provide a cost-comparative alternative to fossil fuels shipped from abroad, which would mean less reliance on foreign oil and natural gas. Not only would our energy supplies rely much less on foreign actors, but our nation could save on the costs to ship that fuel or to build expensive pipelines. Fuel plants could be built regionally, with products sent just a short way to fuel stations where they would be needed.

Third, it would be another way to tackle the increasing amount of organic waste that our country produces. Some 140 million tons of solid waste go into our landfills each year; roughly 133 billion pounds of this is food waste or similar organic waste. If even a fraction of this could be converted to useful fuel, it would make a huge impact on our landfills and the neighborhoods surrounding them.

For More Information

If you would like more information about Raven SR and its projects, visit the website here.
For more information about Watlow, Industry 4.0 or environmental applications of thermal systems, visit the Watlow website here.

Raven Tales: Raven SR, EFT launch new pathway to SAF, renewable diesel from waste biomass

Julianne Thomas — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 02:42:41 +0000

– Reported by The Digest

From the wilds of southwestern Wyoming and Oklahoma comes welcome news. As we reported last week, Raven SR and Emerging Fuels Technology signed a landmark MOU to integrate their respective technologies into an advanced system for producing sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel. Let’s look at it in more detail today.

The platform combines Raven SR’s patented Steam/CO2 Reformer process and EFT’s patented Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and Maxx Jet/ Maxx Diesel upgrading technology. Steam Reformer – that’s the SR in Raven SR.

About those ravens

We’re not sure about the raven, except that in a dim schoolroom in the Pacific Northwest in time gone by, we learned about Raven, the creator and transformer of the world, who brought knowledge of fire to the people, and light to Earth, subject of so many raven tales. The raven symbolizes wisdom and understanding, the complexity of truth.

So: concho nika shikhs — the raven is my friend. There, now you know some Chinook jargon, you are one hyas muckamuck, one righteous dude. Your takeaway — ravens are part of a powerful symbology derived from nature and older than Western civilization, just as stream reformation is a part of a powerful energy system.

Back to synthetic fuels

The combination of EFT and Raven tech. The collaboration with EFT, particularly the 75 BPD and 500 BPD systems is said to match up well with Raven’s standard systems, will enable us to produce advanced fuels from waste on a local basis. Think high enough volumes to make modular systems a go.

“We expect to go to market on an accelerated timeframe for SAF and other renewable Fischer-Tropsch fuels by incorporating EFT’s well-regarded catalyst/reactor technologies,” said Matt Murdock, CEO of Raven SR.

Next steps

Raven SR and EFT will optimize their process to maximize production while further reducing emissions. The Master License Agreement will enable Raven SR to deploy its technology with EFT technology on a global scale, producing liquid fuels more quickly and nearer to market.

The Raven SR backstory

The Raven SR technology is a non-combustion thermal process for converting organic waste and landfill gas to hydrogen and Fischer-Tropsch synfuels. The Steam/CO2 Reformation” technology, produces more hydrogen per ton of waste than competing processes, making the cost per kg of hydrogen competitive, which has been a challenge of adopting hydrogen as a fuel source – and bringing long-term and integrated value to Raven.

The technology can also be implemented quickly, meeting demand faster and closer to the market. Raven SR’s unique process can also convert waste to produce other renewable energy products, such as sustainable aviation fuel, synthetic liquid fuels (diesel, Jet A, mil-spec, JP-8), additives and solvents (such as methanol, butanol, and naphtha).

We reported last September that Raven SR, teamed with Republic Services, Inc. to convert organic waste to produce green hydrogen at a site in Richmond, Calif. Raven SR will initially process up to 99.9 tons of organic waste per day at Republic Services’ West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill and produce up to 2,000 metric-tons per year of renewable hydrogen as well as power for its operations. Raven SR’s patented Steam/CO2 Reformation process enables it to be one of the only non-combustion, waste-to-hydrogen processes in the world. Additionally, Raven SR’s goal is to generate as much of its own power onsite to reduce burden on the grid.

We profiled the company in our Multi-Slide Guide series, here.

The Bottom Line

This might be the most interesting group of people that’s come out of Wyoming since the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, and with much more noble aspirations, to boot. We’ve had some technology starts and stops in the bioeconomy in the Cowboy state, I think in some ways for the same awful reasons that people in West Virginia have resisted renewable energy, it feels like as assault not only on fossil fuels, but on their way of thinking, their way of doing things.

I don’t think that divide will last forever — the national narrative of Wyoming focuses on nativism, anti-government rhetoric, Trumpism and deep-right politics, I’ve never bought into any of that, it’s a state of practical people who cooperate in almost every aspect of their lives. They don’t much like to be told what to do, it’s not exactly libertarianism, but there’s quite a streak of anti-far-awayism that the federal government fits into. But they don’t mind wind farms much at all, Converse county is full of them, they don’t mind fuels, and they like an opportunity as much as the next guy. In some ways, Raven SR is in just the right place — their technology may not just change the energy mix, it may change some minds for the better. Change, that’s what raven brings.

About Emerging Fuels Technology

Emerging Fuels Technology is a rapidly growing technology company focused on methods for producing synthetic fuels and chemicals from a variety of feedstocks such as natural gas, flared gas, biogas, biomass, municipal solid waste, CO2 and more.

Reaction from the stakeholders

“This MOU represents a meeting of the minds and facilitates a means to produce premium synthetic Fischer-Tropsch fuels from waste materials” said Kenneth Agee, Founder and President of EFT.

“We share similar ambitions of accelerating the production of renewable fuels with negative carbon intensity on a cost-competitive basis. We are very impressed with the first-rate quality of Raven SR’s syngas and the efficiency of its process.”

Raven SR Successfully Trials Full-Scale Hydrogen Production Reformer

Julianne Thomas — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 00:30:27 +0000

Raven SR Inc. (Raven SR), a renewable fuels company, announced the results of the field trial of its non-combustion equilibrium Steam/CO2 Reforming SR2 unit, which converted methane to transportation-grade hydrogen at a rate exceeding other commercially available technologies for producing hydrogen from methane.

Over 95% of the hydrogen currently produced in the U.S. uses Steam Methane Reformation (SMR), which has an average first-pass conversion efficiency of only 75-80%.

The August 12 trial, held at Raven SR’s Benicia Fabrication & Machine facility in Benicia, Calif., demonstrated to stakeholders at the event, including investors and local officials, how this ground-breaking technology for waste-to-hydrogen and gas-to-hydrogen processes is commercially ready, effective, and efficient.

The trial comes on the eve of Raven SR opening its Round C financing, which is expected to close this fall, with Raven SR advised by Barclays and BofA Securities. Raven’s roster of strategic investors prior to its Round C launch includes Chevron, Ascent Hydrogen Fund, ITOCHU, Samsung and Hyzon Motors.

Raven SR plans to bring its first commercial Steam/CO2 Reforming production facility online in the first half of 2023 at the West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill in Richmond, Calif., where Raven’s facility will convert organic green waste into transportation-grade hydrogen for local customers.

Matt Murdock, CEO of Raven SR, said:

“Today’s results demonstrate, at scale, the core of Raven SR’s industry leading technology”.

“With this unit, built at our Benicia facility, Raven SR is now able to rapidly scale up production and project deployment.”

“This was a monumental day to showcase how our technology is highly productive and efficient in creating a hydrogen-rich syngas for downstream conversion into renewable fuels. We now have the means to deliver advanced fuels with low to negative carbon intensity to markets around the world,” said Murdock.

“These successful results strongly support our upcoming capital raise, which will be used to deploy multiple systems around the globe, positioning Raven SR as a key global player in carbon negative hydrogen and synthetic fuels,” said Murdock.

“We are ready to put our modular and scalable units on the ground to produce local fuel from local waste, contributing to energy independence and security.”

The Raven SR technology can produce emissions-free hydrogen fuel and lower-carbon synthetic fuels from a variety of feedstock sources, including landfills, methane, fugitive gas wells, wastewater treatment plants, agricultural and other sites.

Jim Hays, business unit director at POWER Engineers, said:

“Raven SR’s vision of a non-combustion, non-catalytic reactor was seemingly impossible, but they’ve achieved it”.

“Raven SR’s technology is not only a major improvement upon existing technologies like SMR, but a significant step toward the future of clean hydrogen energy. POWER Engineers is proud to be part of this journey.”

The patented Raven SR Steam/CO2 Reforming process was originally created by the late Professor Terry Galloway, whose earlier commercial systems were smaller until large scale commercialization by Raven SR.

Terry Mazanec, chief operating officer of Lee Enterprises Consulting, said:

Raven SR’s technology could significantly change the hydrogen production arena.

“It has been a great pleasure to work with the Raven team on their waste-to-fuels process, and I am proud of the small part that Lee Enterprises Consulting has played to realize Galloway’s vision. The Raven SR process allows under-utilized mountains of waste to be diverted from landfills and converted into the renewable fuels needed for the transition away from fossil resources.”

Raven SR’s technology is designed to produce hydrogen-rich syngas, the essential building block for clean fuels, efficiently and economically.

Raven SR’s renewable energy products, such as hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuels, synthetic liquid fuels (diesel, Jet A, mil-spec, JP-8), additives and solvents (such as methanol, butanol, and naphtha), will further promote local and regional energy independence and security.

Raven SR is especially grateful to its Chief Technology Officer Mike Fatigati for his energy, vision and persistence in designing and further developing Galloway’s reformer and the incredible team at Benicia Fabrication and Machine, led by its CEO Carmelo Santiago, who fabricated our SR2 unit with a high degree of craftsmanship.

Raven also appreciates its engineering, procurement and construction teams at Stellar J, POWER Engineers and Watlow, who all played critical roles in helping us finalize our design and managing our successful trial.

Read the article here.

Local Leaders Meet in Richmond to Discuss Zero Emissions Plan

Julianne Thomas — Sun, 28 Aug 2022 09:30:39 +0000

| Zero emissions are a lofty goal, but leaders and local officials gathered in Contra Costa County Thursday to discuss ways to achieve it. Pete Suratos reports.|

“It’s amazing to be in this building that manufactured more internal gasoline cars than anywhere on the West Coast and to be talking about getting to zero emissions through hydrogen,” said Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia.

And with a nod to the history of Richmond’s Craneway Pavillion, once considered the largest auto assembly plant on the West Coast, Gioia set the stage for Thursday’s event at the location.

During the event called “Richmond’s Road to Zero Day,” a number of experts were on hand, primarily focusing on hydrogen-fueled cars. They don’t emit the same harmful substances into the air as traditional gas-powered cars.

“A lot of people know about electric vehicles. This is the other electric vehicle, but instead of batteries, it has hydrogen and fuel cell batteries on board,” said Bill Elrick, Executive Director of the California Fuel Cell Partnership.

One of the companies that attended the event was Raven SR, which is a company that creates hydrogen fuel and plans to build a facility in Richmond next year. They convert waste from landfills into hydrogen that can be used for cars.

Drivers like San Jose resident Brandon Ghanma said it can be difficult finding a working hydrogen fuel station. He hopes changes are made to make it easier for drivers, who are doing their part to create a cleaner environment.

“I feel like if there was a better hydrogen infrastructure throughout the United States, I feel like there it would actually be a lot better system, they would feel more obligated to like make sure all the systems are working and stuff,” he said.

Howden signs hydrogen compressor contract for Raven SR Waste-To-Hydrogen plant in Richmond, California

Julianne Thomas — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 05:05:20 +0000

Howden, a leading global provider of mission critical air and gas handling products, technologies and services, today announced it has signed a contract to provide three hydrogen diaphragm compressors for the Raven SR renewable hydrogen production facility in Richmond, California. Work at this site is scheduled to break ground in autumn of 2022 with the site to be operational in 2023.

Working with Raven SR’s contractor, Stellar J, the installation will support hydrogen compression into mobile high pressure tube trailers that will provide hydrogen locally to Raven SR customers. The manufacturing and supply work for the contract is being carried out by Howden facilities in Rheden, Netherlands and Springfield, Missouri, with aftermarket support provided by Howden in Los Angeles, CA.

Raven SR’s technology can produce green hydrogen and high-quality Fischer-Tropsch synthetic fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel, from a wide range of feedstock, including municipal solid waste, methane and biomass. Raven SR’s non-combustion Steam/CO2 Reforming process is emissions-free and requires minimal waste sorting before processing.

Ross B. Shuster, Chief Executive Officer at Howden Group, said: “Howden is proud of our track record in the hydrogen sector as we have been at the forefront of hydrogen compression for over 100 years. This contract, and our relationship with Raven SR, represents a great example of how we are working with customers to support the energy transition and advance a more sustainable world. Our solution on this project focuses on safe and efficient hydrogen compression followed by on-going support to ensure plant efficiency and reliability. With Howden’s technological advances in remote monitoring and assistance combined with our hydrogen compression expertise and global presence, we are well placed to provide the maintenance and support for the supplied equipment and to support the reliability of our equipment.”

The contract marks a key milestone for Raven SR to begin renewable hydrogen production in California, a bellwether market for renewable energy.
Matt Murdock, Raven SR Chief Executive Officer, said: “Raven SR is pleased to be working with Howden to supply the compressors for our non-combustion Steam/CO2 Reforming units. Howden has a solid reputation in the industry, and their knowledge and experience have been crucial in designing the unique compressors needed under our hydrogen offtake agreements. As we expand internationally, Howden’s offices and manufacturing facilities worldwide will be able to support Raven SR as we accelerate the energy transition globally.”

Howden is taking a leadership role in hydrogen compression and the energy transition through development and supply of its hydrogen compressors, technology and services, and it announced a number of important projects in 2021 and 2022. Crucial contracts in the last year have included: supplying hydrogen compressors for the largest hydrogen refuelling station in the world in China and for the refuelling stations at the Beijing Winter Olympics; creating solutions for the first fossil-free steel plant in the world in Sweden; and supporting the world’s first climate neutral fuel (eFuel) plant located in Chile.

Howden focuses on helping customers increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their air and gas handling processes enabling them to make sustainable improvements in their environmental impact. Howden designs, manufactures and supplies products, solutions and services to customers around the world across highly diversified end-markets and geographies.

Howden recently announced its target to be carbon Net Zero by 2035. Going beyond its own carbon net zero targets, Howden is focused on, and in investing in, the impact that its technologies, service and solutions have on its customers’ sustainability and decarbonisation efforts.

For more information, contact:

Howden
Devan LaBrash
Pagoda PR
+44 (0) 131 556 0770
howden@pagodapr.com

Raven SR
Katharine Fraser
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
+1 281-409-9351
katharine.fraser@hkstrategies.com

About Howden

Howden is a leading global provider of mission critical air and gas handling products. We enable our customers’ vital processes which advance a more sustainable world. Based in Glasgow, Scotland, Howden has over 160 years of heritage as a world-class application engineering and manufacturing company with a presence in 35 countries. Howden manufactures highly engineered fans, compressors, heat exchangers, steam turbines, and other air and gas handling equipment, and provides service and support to customers around the world in highly diversified end-markets and geographies. Since October 2019, Howden has been a portfolio company of KPS Capital Partners, LP. For more information: www.howden.com