Wood Derived Fast Pyrolysis Bio-liquids as Co-feed in a Fluid Catalytic Cracking Pilot Plant: Effect of Hydrotreatment on Process Performance and Gasoline Quality.

Abstract

Co-feeding biogenic feeds in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units benefits from exploiting existing refinery assets to produce biogenic fuels. It is the most cost-effective way to comply with step-by-step increasing the target of renewable energy in road and rail transport of the European Union. Fast pyrolysis bio-liquids derived from wood offer a unique opportunity to reach those targets without having to address the typical food vs fuel debate. In the present work bio-liquids derived from pinewood in different stages of treatment were tested for their processability in a pilot scale fluid catalytic cracking plant at 550 °C. Specific focus is on the quality of the derived gasoline fractions. All samples were co-fed with vacuum gas oil, a typical FCC feed. Relevant parameters to qualify the produced gasoline as blending component were analyzed. As main results, none of the parameters examined significantly affect the quality of the—now partially biogenic—gasolines, demonstrating the potentiality of the co-FCC process as a possible near future pathway to ensure high biofuel contents in commercially available fuels.