The primary objective of this project and the U.S. DOE?s integrated biorefinery (?IBR?) program was to demonstrate conversion of biomass and waste-derived feedstocks into military spec liquid fuels. Frontline?s proposed integrated process was to incorporate several novel technologies and innovative applications of existing technologies that would serve both to increase plant efficiency and also to lower the cost of the produced biofuels. The project was intended to demonstrate Frontline Bioenergy?s technologies for gasification and synthesis gas clean-up configuration to produce a syngas stream suitable for a proven Fischer-Tropsch (?F-T?) unit that would produce F-T intermediate products. These F-T intermediate products were to be upgraded to military spec diesel and jet fuel, including F76, JP5, and JP8. Specifically, these technologies consisted of: 1. Frontline?s PMFreeGas� ultra low particulate matter (PM) hot gas filtration technology 2. Application of Frontline?s TarFreeGas� ultra low-tar gasification technology 3. Frontline?s novel approach to syngas conditioning The proposed gasifier system was to operate at 10 tpd capacity while the F-T plant was capable of approximately one barrel per day. Although the gasifier output would have been roughly ten times the F-T plant?s required input, the 10 tpd capacity was chosen to enable scaling to commercial capacity. Project partners included i) SGC Energia, owner of the F-T technology and owner of the proposed demonstration site in Pasadena, Texas
ii) Stanley Consultants, a reputable engineering company that provided detailed electrical engineering services
and iii) Delphi Engineering & Construction LLC, a consulting company that provided project management advisory services. The integrated plant was never constructed due to lack of cost share funds. However, the commercialization plan and associated financial model suggested such a plant could be economically viable when the price of oil exceeds $70 per barrel. The price of feedstock plays a significant role in the profitability of the plant for a given value of oil. An integrated biorefinery capable of producing liquid transportation fuels and other chemical feedstocks would benefit the public by providing a sustainable pathway to convert domestically available feedstocks into fuels that might otherwise be imported from countries or regions of the world that are typically hostile to the United States.