HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A leading global forest products company headquartered in Northern Europe has entered into an FEL-1 license agreement with CRI Catalyst Company (CRI), a global catalyst technology company. IH2 technology is a thermal catalytic process, which produces liquid transportation fuels from forest residues, and other renewable resources.
The initial Front End Loading (FEL) evaluation was completed for the core IH2 technology, inside battery limit (ISBL) facility, by KBR, Inc. (KBR) the preferred engineering services provider for IH2 facilities at commercial scale. This represents the first step in the front-end engineering design (FEED) process. The preliminary FEL assessment integrated the IH2 technology with an existing manufacturing location, allowing for optimization of capital and operating expense. As a leading global engineering, construction and services company KBR’s experience with the technology components of an IH2 processing facility will assist in de-risking the commercial scale design.
The forest products company sees the potential of IH2 technology, and will continue collaboration with CRI and its partners to further evaluate implementation of the technology, with the aim of producing commercial volumes of high quality transportation range renewable hydrocarbons (gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuels) once the plant is constructed.
The design feedstock for the facility includes a broad range of forest residues including slash, sawdust, bark, and wood chips. IH2 hydrocarbons produced from these feed stocks currently meet the ASTM specifications for their respective fuels, positioned for the US market as an E10 gasoline fully renewable product, or as a 100% renewable diesel. Ongoing research indicates the technology’s ability to achieve EN high-quality blend stock or potentially drop in renewable petrol and diesel specification hydrocarbons from this forest companies’ intended feed slate.
With the recent downturn in crude market price, it is a positive sign that the forest products industry continues to have a strong business case for implementing innovative technologies, which broaden their commercial offerings, and that they continue to make strategic investments for their future.
The IH2 technology is an efficient conversion route for woody biomass and forest residues feedstock that allows for production of clean transportation fuels from renewable resources. The process economics have been estimated to provide a very cost-effective route, ~$2.25/gallon in 2014 dollars at 2000 tonne dry feed/day scale on a USGC basis using a stand-alone design basis. The process was developed by Gas Technology Institute (GTI) of Des Plaines, IL. CRI Catalyst Company of Houston, Texas has been granted exclusive worldwide licensing rights.
*IH2 is a trademark of Gas Technology Institute.
About CRI Catalyst Company
CRI Catalyst Company is part of CRI/Criterion Inc., the global catalyst technology company of the Shell Group. CRI operates research laboratories, development facilities, manufacturing plants and business units throughout the world. It is dedicated to providing a broad customer base with effective and cost-efficient catalysts and technologies. CRI has a range of products with specific focus on environmental applications, hydrogen separation and recovery, selective oxidation and hydrogenation and the production of renewable fuels. Website: www.cricatalyst.com
About Gas Technology Institute (GTI)
GTI is a leading research, development and training organization that has been addressing the nation’s energy and environmental challenges by developing technology-based solutions for consumers, industry, and government for more than 70 years. Website: www.gastechnology.org
