CHP-Integrated Fischer-Tropsch Biocrude Production under Norwegian Conditions: Techno-Economic Analysis

This article presents a detailed techno-economic analysis, under Norwegian conditions, for the production of biocrude from woody biomass via high temperature entrained flow gasification and Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis with integrated coproduction of heat and electricity. Biomass pretreatment based on both conventional drying and torrefaction processes are considered as options. Maximum calculated efficiency of biocrude at lower and upper bound CO conversions of 40% and 80% at the gasifier operating conditions of lambda value 0.2 and temperature 1300 °C are 27% and 44%, respectively. Under these conditions, maximum thermal and net electrical efficiency are 55% and 15.5%, respectively. The economic viability of the biocrude production for plant capacities in the range of 150–600 MW thermal input has been evaluated as a function of the type of biomass pretreatment, gasification operating conditions, and the heat to electricity production ratios. Results from the economic analysis show that coproduction of biocrude combined with 100% heat production for district heating gives the lowest biocrude cost under Norwegian conditions, with large variations as the electricity to heat production ratio increases.