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Fischer Tropsch Fuels
Information provided from an
EPA Fact Sheet Fischer-Tropsch technology converts coal, natural gas,
and low-value refinery products into a high-value, clean-burning fuel.
The resultant fuel is colorless, odorless, and low in toxicity. In
addition, it is virtually interchangeable with conventional diesel
fuels and can be blended with diesel at any ratio with little to no
modification. Fischer-Tropsch fuels offer important emissions benefits
compared with diesel, reducing nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and
particulate matter. For the past 50
years, Fischer-Tropsch fuels have powered all of South Africa’s
vehicles—from buses to trucks to taxicabs. The fuel is primarily
supplied by Sasol, a world leader in Fischer-Tropsch technologies.
Sasol’s South African facility produces more than 150,000 barrels of
high-quality fuel from domestic low-grade coal daily. The popular fuel
is cost-competitive with crude oil-based petroleum products in South
Africa. Presentations Status of Technology for Producing Fischer-Tropsch Fuels from Coal and Natural Gas (534 KB) Fischer Tropsch (FT) Workshop Turbine Engine Applications (2.8 MB) 1.4.09 - Fifteen airlines from the U.S., Canada, Germany and Mexico signed non-binding memoranda of understanding to buy aviation fuel from two U.S.-based producers, industry trade organization Air Transport Association of America announced in December. Los Angeles-based synthetic fuels and fertilizer company Rentech (AMEX:RTK) and Seattle-based AltAir Fuels both signed MOUs with 12 airlines: Air Canada, American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines, FedEx Express, JetBlue Airways, Lufthansa German Airlines, Mexicana Airlines, Polar Air Cargo, United Airlines, UPS Airlines and US Airways. In addition, AltAir Fuels signed agreements with Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, while Rentech added AirTran Airways to its MOU. AltAir Fuels said the deal could amount to 750 million gallons over 10 years of renewable jet fuel and diesel derived from camelia oil, a relatively new next-generation biofuel feedstock that Bozeman, Mont.-based Sustainable Oils supplied to Japan Airlines for a flight in January (see Japan Airlines completes camelina biodiesel flight). Camelina, a distant relative to Canola, can grow on marginal land, requires minimal water or fertilizer, and can be harvested with traditional equipment. AltAir Fuels plans to buy the camelina oil from Sustainable Oils, refine it using technology from Honeywell (NYSE: HON) subsidiary UOP, and blend it with petroleum-based jet fuel and diesel. AltAir’s planned facility in Anacortes, Wash., is expected to have the capacity to produce 100 million gallons of fuel per year starting in 2012. The company also expects to supply diesel for ground equipment at the Port of Seattle facilities. Rentech expects its MOU could result in sales of 250 million gallons of synthetic jet fuel per year—the entire synthetic jet fuel output expected from the company’s planned Natchez Project. The $4 billion-to-$4.5 billion plant in Natchez, Miss., is expected to produce 120 MW of electricity, as well as about 400 million gallons of fuels and chemicals annually (see Mississippi extending sweet deal to coal-to-fuels plant). Rentech has also contracted to sell all of the carbon dioxide to be captured to Denbury Onshore, a subsidiary of Denbury Resources, for enhanced oil recovery. However, this isn’t Rentech’s first airline supply agreement. In August, Rentech signed a deal to sell up to 1.5 million gallons per year of renewable synthetic diesel fuel for ground-based equipment at the Los Angeles International Airport to Aircraft Service International Group, which provides fueling to airlines. The airlines that signed both deals with Rentech are American, Delta, United, UPS and US Airways. In addition, the August deal included Alaska Airlines, Continental Airlines and Southwest Airlines (see LAX signs first supply deal for synthetic diesel from Rentech). The late-2012 fuel delivery is timed with the expected commissioning date of Rentech’s proposed plant in Rialto, Calif., which is expected consume urban woody waste such as lawn clippings, in addition to sewage sludge supplied by EnerTech Environmental to produce 600 barrels per day of synthetic diesel fuel and export 35 MW of power. Rentech's technology, based on the Fischer-Tropsch process, makes synthetic fuel from biomass, sewage sludge, natural gas and coal. Rentech's expertise lies in syngas to hydrocarbon synthesis, and the company uses UOP’s technology for hydrocarbon conversion (see Rentech, UOP expand clean fuel offerings). Fuel based on the Fischer-Tropsch process, including Rentech’s RenJet, is the only alternative jet fuel currently certified for use in commercial aviation at up to a 50/50 blend with traditional jet fuel. AltAir said Boeing (NYSE: BA) is leading the ASTM Emerging Fuels Taskforce, which expects to gain approval in 2010 for aviation fuel derived from biomass sources, including camelina. Specifications for jet fuels are extremely stringent because the industry is more risk-averse than other transportation methods. Last year, a consortium of the airline industry formed to require its members to use biofuels produced from nonfood sources and with minimal environmental impact. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group includes Boeing and UOP, as well as the commercial airlines that account for 15 percent of commercial jet-fuel use: Air France, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Cargolux, Gulf Air, Japan Airlines, KLM, SAS and Virgin Atlantic Airways (see Game-changing day for jet biofuels). The group’s intent amounts to an endorsement of the progress
being made by second-generation biofuel developers.
Rentech Announces Achievement of Critical Milestone in Synthetic Jet
Fuel Certification
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