Synthesis Gas from Peat: A Finnish Peat Ammonia Venture

Abstract

Abstract Kemira Oy has built a peat-fired, ammonia plant. The investment replaces the gasification part of the present heavy fuel oil-based ammonia production of 80,000 tla at Oulu in northern Finland. The cost estimate of the project amounts to 225 million Finnish marks (50 million USD). The decision was preceded by pilot scale gasification experiments with the more advanced coal and biomass gasification processes: HTW (in West Germany), MINO (in Sweden), and U-Gas (in the USA), which all work on the fluidized bed principle. The HTW-process was selected. Also the preparation and drying of peat were studied experimentally. The drying is done by the MoDo back pressure steam dryer. The project is considered to be of great importance, because peat is the only domestic raw material for synthesis gas available in Finland. The economic conditions at Oulu can be regarded as reasonable due to local factors such as established peat production, partial use of the existing ammonia plant, by-products based on synthesis gas, local need of ammonia for fertilizer production, and existing factory area and personnel. The Oulu peat gasification plant will be the first commercial ammonia production plant using peat in the world. Thus it is important that the technical feasibility of gasification methods in practice should be ensured in times of stability with regard to oil price. In Kemira's long-term research the exploitation of biomass (willow) instead of peat is a subject of investigation.