TORREFACTION AND GASIFICATION FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY SECOND-GENERATION BIOFUEL PRODUCTION

TORREFACTION is a thermal process that significantly increases the volumetric energy density of most biomass feedstocks and consequently has the potential to improve the economics of transport and storage. There are also well established similarities between torrefied biomass and coal, in terms of heating value and handling characteristics. This paper presents a case for the development of torrefaction technology to rapidly accelerate the implementation of gasification for high efficiency production of biofuels in the Australian sugar industry by utilising already commercial coal gasification technologies. The analysis presented indicates that an oil price of 76 US$/bbl is required for the commercial viability of localised bagasse torrefaction and subsequent transport of the torrefied bagasse to a centralised gasification and Fischer-Tropsch renewable diesel fuel production facility.