Energy From Waste : WP4.2 - UK Benefits Case - A Review of Biomass to Liquid Fuels via Pyrolysis Oil
Citation
Ziman, H., Hillier, G. and Donegan, S. Energy From Waste : WP4.2 - UK Benefits Case - A Review of Biomass to Liquid Fuels via Pyrolysis Oil, ETI, 2011. https://doi.org/10.5286/UKERC.EDC.000450. Cite this using DataCite
There is increasing commercial interest in the pyrolysis of biomass and wastes to form pyrolysis oil, a dark liquid that is sometimes colloquially referred to as bio-crude oil. However, it is not compatible with crude oil or the refining processes used to produce hydrocarbons (including fuels) and petrochemicals. Currently pyrolysis oils are mostly used as a low grade fuel to generate heat and power.Current processes for the production of biofuels for blending into transport fuels have focused on the use of plant oils or starches as raw materials. These have the potential to compete with food for agricultural capacity. Some technologies have used wastes of varying types ranging from mixed wastes through to plastics and tyres. The development of processes that use lignocellulosic biomass (e.g. wood, straw) would enable waste biomass and forestry materials to be used in this way. Such sources of biomass can be used to produce pyrolysis oil.Laboratory work has shown that pyrolysis oils produced from a range of feedstocks have the potential to be upgraded into vehicle fuels. There is also the potential to extract commercially useful materials from pyrolysis oils providing a renewable alternative to petrochemicals
